A tourist village has joined a national campaign to fight against single-use plastic and gain a coveted status.

Plastic-Free Cheddar has been set up to get businesses to ditch single-use plastic and help save the planet from the plague of pollution it leaves.

The campaign group will be looking to achieve Plastic Free Community status from the Surfers Against Sewage and join the likes of Weston and Wells who have already earned the status.

Through the campaign, volunteers will look at ways to kick out things like polystyrene takeaway boxes to plastic cups.

To earn the status, they must meet a number of criteria, including encouraging businesses to give up using three forms of single-use plastic and host litter-picks.

MORE: Weston's Cleaner Coastlines campaign secured the status last year.

Group chairman Graham McLelland said: "We are looking for businesses and organisations in Cheddar who have already done fantastic work in this area or those who would like to join the scheme and gain recognition for their efforts to reduce this unnecessary waste.

"We've all seen the effects of plastic in the environment in places, like Indonesia, but what many people don't realise is litter dropped anywhere can end up in the sea.

"Plastic is not a sustainable resource. It comes from oil and when eventually it is broken down it can enter the food chain and may be responsible for cancers.

"Either way, it's not cool to use unsustainable resources just because they are cheap.

"We should be thinking about the planet and how small changes make a big difference."

MORE: Why Weston launched its Cleaner Coastlines campaign.

Eight million tonnes of 'disposable' plastic ends in oceans every year, endangering marine life and has now integrated itself into the food chain.

A Facebook page, called Plastic-Free Cheddar, has been set up to support the campaign and share its progress and Graham said the support has been 'amazing'

He said: "We aren't trying to re-invent the wheel, but instead recognise businesses which are already making this change and encourage others to do the same."