Individuals, businesses and schools are being challenged to have a waste free lunch.

Litter Free Coast and Sea have created an annual 'Plastic Free Day' to encourage the public to cut down on single-use plastic and find more sustainable alternatives.

For this year's challenge on July 3, the campaign group is asking you to challenge yourself, workplace or school to have a zero waste lunch.

The day is aimed at getting people to think about how much plastic they throw away and make changes to the way they buy and pack their lunch in the future.

Craig Bowden, from Litter Free Coast and Sea said: “Have you ever sat back and considered the amount of single-use plastic lunch time can consist of? Sandwiches wrapped in cling film, a chocolate wrapper, yoghurt pots, plastic cutlery, plastic water bottles - it sometimes seems impossible to avoid.

"It may seem like a difficult challenge but there is a huge number of alternatives out there. Ditching single-use plastic, even just for your lunch hour has never been easier and it could save you money too. Here is a great excuse to get together and help reduce your impact on the environment."

This year alone, the UK will use 16.5 billion pieces of plastic cutlery, 42 billion straws and 4.1 billion single-use drinks cups and lids.

The amount of plastic waste generated annually is estimated to be nearly 5 million tonnes.

Although there is a growing movement towards reducing the impact of single-use plastic, Litter Free Coast and Sea said it hopes their Plastic Free Day can help them keep this momentum going to help Dorset ditch single-use plastic once and for all.

If you, your workplace or school would like to take part, visit www.literfreecoastandsea.co.uk to find out more, including top tips to get you thinking about reusable containers and single-use plastic free alternatives.

Remember to share images of your zero waste lunch on social media using #litterfreecoastandsea #zerowastelunch #plasticfreeday