WHILE We Sill Can, a group of 12- to 16-year-olds, is opening a pop-up shop on Porlock High Street in the run up to Christmas.

They have filled the Down to Zero shop with 350 pieces of colourful single use plastic donated by villagers.

Anyone entering will need to make a tailored pledge to break buying habits and reliance on single use plastics, such as avoiding throw-away coffee cups for six months, taking broken items to monthly repair cafés or growing windowsill herbs or salad to avoid plastic-packaged items.

In return for each pledge, the group will remove a piece of plastic from the shop, hoping to empty the shop in six weeks.

Over the course of its 6-week opening time, the group hopes 350 pledges will be made and the shop will be emptied and visibly “plastic free”.

The teenagers estimate Porlock throws away 350 pieces of single use plastic packaging every hour, every day.

The shop opens every Saturday from November 4 until December 9, from 10am to 4pm.

Minna, 14, said: “We’re so used to shopping and buying things made of plastic without a thought for how long these items will be around.

"We want people to visit our shop and take a moment to reflect."

Lenny, 15, said: "100 billion pieces of single use plastic are thrown away every year in the UK - this is our chance to act locally but think big, inviting others to join us in doing something positive for the environment.

"We want to wake people up in a novel way and help them develop new habits.”

Yoshi, 13, said: “Young people are the greatest influencers amongst family and friends when asking for change. We really hope people will love our shop and come and talk to us.”

The project is supported by Stacked Wonky, a Porlock-based arts organisation, and Somerset Wildlife Trust.

Mark Ward, Somerset’s Wilder Coast project manager, said: “We’re keen to unite the expertise of both organisations to help a group of bold, committed young people realise an exciting new idea from which we all might learn how action can be taken locally and what concerns them.”

Additional partners include Exeter University and Horner Farm.

Sarah Shorten, Stacked Wonky’s artistic director, said: “Embedded on the high street in Porlock, the shop will bring young people into direct conversation with their community about important issues in a fun and hopeful way.”

The group’s progress can be followed on www.facebook.com/WWSCofficial, Twitter and Instagram @WhileWeStillCan. New members aged 12 to 18 are welcome to join - contact: whilewe-stillcan@stackedwonky.com