Residents in a Somerset town have supercharged their litter-picking efforts thanks to an innovative app, writes Matt Evans.
Frome residents spent a sunny Saturday using the innovative free app Wastebase, which tracks plastic waste as part of the Wessex Citizen Science Showcase.
The team behind the Wastebase app, Unwaste.io, were on hand to demonstrate how it works by scanning barcodes from items collected to gather data on where most plastic waste originates.
In just 10 minutes, they collected several Lucozade and Oasis bottles, originating from Japanese company Suntory and US company Coca-Cola, which are the two top-polluting manufacturers in the UK according to nationwide data collected via the Wastebase app.
Gemma Annan from Frome Families for the Future, who runs monthly litter picks and attended the event with her daughter, said: "This app will be amazing in getting younger people involved.
"Cleaning up an area is great but recording and finding out more about the companies that are responsible will help give young people more of a voice to make positive actions."
Laura Smith from Unwaste.io said: "It’s always great to get out in the community and meet people who share our mission to rid the world of plastic waste.
"We’re really pleased to be able to provide free and easy to use technology to help litter pickers supercharge their efforts and gather vital data to help lobby manufacturers to take action."
