A pub has become the first business to win a Plastic Free Champion Award after making three small changes.

Members of Bearsted’s Climate Action Network (CAN) are on a mission to make their community plastic free.

This month marked a milestone in their campaign, as they presented their first Plastic Free Champion Award to The Yeoman in Ashford Road,.

To qualify, owner Vinni Maka and his team made three simple changes to swap out single-use plastic for more sustainable food packaging.

Plastic water bottles were replaced with glass. Takeaway food containers are now cardboard or foil. And plastic cutlery and plates used on buffets have gone, being replaced by the pub’s own cutlery and crockery.

In total, it is estimated the changes are saving 1,000 plastic items from going to landfill or incineration every month.

Mr Maka said: “We are proud to have received the Plastic Free Communities, Business Champion Award.

“It is important to us to do our part in reducing the huge amount of plastic waste that we all create and help protect our environment.

“We hope that our efforts will inspire others to make similar changes.”

Bearsted CAN signed up to Plastic Free Communities last year out of concern about the colossal amount of single-use plastic used in homes, at work and when socialising.

Spokesperson Jane Heely said: “This initiative is not about banning plastic, but raising awareness about the amount we all use and encouraging everyone to take simple steps, like using re-usable water bottles, buying unwrapped fruit and vegetables and replacing clingfilm with non-plastic food wrapping, to reduce their consumption of single-use plastic.”