A KITESURFER is spearheading two campaigns to tackle plastic waste.

Keith Jones, a member of the Pro Kitesurfing Club and Centre, and the founder of Rhyl’s branch of Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) , is making a push to eliminate single use plastics from the town as part of #PlasticFreeCoastline.

As part of #PlasticFreeCoastline, Mr Jones has brought the Kite Surf Café on East Parade and the Crazy Golf centre on West parade on board for a scheme which has seen them replace the use of plastic straws for a biodegradable, paper alternative.

Mr Jones said: “I will be encouraging businesses in Rhyl, both local and national, to sign up to a promise to remove at least three single-use plastic items from their business and where possible, to replace them with sustainable alternatives.

The obvious items are plastic straws, cups/lids, stirrers, but also found littering our beaches are cotton buds, disposable lighters, condiment sachets, and other avoidable use plastics.

“I’m hoping to get the town council on board too and to declare their intent to aspire to make Rhyl a #PlasticFreeCommunity.”

While this initiative, over time, will hopefully see a fall in new plastic waste in the town, Mr Jones has also encouraged both businesses to sponsor his introduction of SAS to Rhyl.

Mr Jones joined the Cornwall-based SAS marine conservation and campaigning charity two years ago, before introducing the scheme last October – starting with just four volunteers.

The scheme has since snowballed in Rhyl, with 65 volunteers removing 42.5kg of plastic waste its most recent monthly pick-up.

Mr Jones added: “It might sound Utopian to think we can bring a ommunity together, but if we can build solutions to stop plastic pollution at source, if we can empower and connect our community – with the aim of changing behaviours to reduce our over reliance on avoidable plastics, wouldn’t that be an amazing legacy?”

As part of ushering in this legacy, Mr Jones has enlisted the aid of Ysgol Mair and Christchurch CP School for future beach cleans, as well as Ysgol Llewlyn pupils to help maintain the River Clwyd.

Rhyl is the first – and currently the only – town across the entire North Wales region to aspire to the official SAS Plastic Free Coastlines status.

Bangor, a city, and Anglesey, as a county, are the others.