THE Somerset Waste Partnership has this week added its weight to the County Gazette's jute bags campaign.

We've teamed up with the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office to call on readers to reduce the number of plastic carrier bags they use to help look after our beautiful county.

And if you add your pledge, we'll help you meet it!

Everyone who pledges to cut the number of plastic bags they use by at least 25% will be entered into a weekly draw to win one of our stylish, limited edition jute bags.

This week, the number of people who have pledged stands at an impressive 675 - check the list of winners to see if you have got yourself a free jute bag.

Somerset Waste Partnership says 800 tonnes of bags are disposed of in Somerset every year.

They have also provided the following plastic bag facts:

  • UK supermarkets give away 8 billion plastic bags each year
  • Plastic production takes up 8% of the world's oil supply
  • On average, 16% of the money you spend in shops goes on packaging.
  • Plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose
  • Even "degradable" plastic bags are slow to degrade without the right conditions and may release the greenhouse gas methane.
  • Plastic reaching the ocean is responsible for killing 1 million sea creatures each year
  • We produce 20 times more plastic today than 50 years ago and 35% of that is on packaging Mark Blaker, of the partnership, who is the proud owner of one of the County Gazette's Somerset Green Family, jute bags, said: "The only answer is to support the County Gazette campaign and reuse and refuse!"

The Somerset Waste Partnership provides waste and recycling services on behalf of all local authorities in Somerset.