CLIMATE change, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution were the topics at the centre of a rotary club meeting.

The question that North Cotswolds Rotary Club decided to address when they planned a meeting involving many local organisations and clubs was ‘what can we as individuals do?

“We have a moral duty to act, for the sake of future generations,” said club president John Barber.

An evening involving nearly 90 Rotarians and representatives from more than 25 local organisations – schools, civic societies, gardening clubs, parish councils and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust – was hosted by Rotarians at Stow Rugby Club.

Rotary clubs worldwide have long been concerned with environmental sustainability, but the challenge has been how to reach out to local communities with specific ideas for action that each one of us can get involved with.

Mr Barber said: "One step at a time. We decided to concentrate on the problem of plastic waste and plastic pollution with a simple, clear message: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

To help those attending to reduce their use of plastics a wide range of alternative household plastic-free products were on display, together with examples of compostable Vegware catering products used by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust in their cafes at Greystones and Crickley Hill.

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and since the 1970s 1 in 3 species have seen dramatic declines in numbers. Around the UK over 150 plastic bottles and 5000 items of marine plastic pollution have been found for every mile of beach.