Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has pledged to reduce the environmental impact of markets in the district, introducing a number of changes to how markets are set up.

The council says the changes will see a reduction of thousands of HGV vehicle miles and carbon emissions, and an end to the use of 3,000 single use plastic cable ties every year.

The news comes as Biddulph's Artisan Market returned to the town today, after eight months without markets due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, changes will not be affecting this market, as the district council does not play a role in Biddulph's markets. Biddulph Town Council own their own markets equipment, which is stored and erected locally.

From this month, the district council has engaged its partners at Alliance Environmental Services (AES) to set up and dismantle market stalls across the Moorlands.

Operators will now travel less than 100 miles a year to provide this service - down 2,700 miles a year from the 2,800 miles travelled by the previous service provider - resulting in a reduction of approximately 4,000kg in carbon emissions per year.

And the use of reusable Velcro straps to secure the gazebos together will mean thousands of single-use plastic ties will no longer be needed.

Councillor Edwin Wain, Cabinet Member for Planning, Development and Property at the Council, said: "Local people and visitors alike enjoy spending time shopping at our markets - they add to the vibrancy of our towns and the Council wants to see them continue to thrive.

"We're always looking for ways to improve the services we deliver so I'm pleased that we have been able to implement these changes to the set up of our markets.

"They may seem like simple measures but they will make a real difference to sustainability and the impact markets have on our local environment."

The Council declared a climate emergency in July last year and has been reviewing opportunities to embed its commitment to net zero CO2 emissions in its policies and strategies.

Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, Councillor Joe Porter, said: "The way we're now setting up our markets is a great example of the Council leading by example and I'm delighted that we will no longer be using plastic cable ties as reducing single use plastics is something we're focusing on at the moment.

"There are things we can all do as individuals to live with less plastic such as using reusable shopping bags, drinks bottles and cups.

"We, and our partners at AES, have recently published a handy toolkit with lots more ideas and I'd encourage everyone to take a look at it and see what they could easily start doing in their own daily lives to reduce their use of plastics."

Find out more and download the 'Life with Less Plastic' toolkit here.