A PEEBLES climate activist in launching her own war on plastic and is urging local shoppers to unwrap their foods at the supermarket tills and press for answers on their policies for reducing unnecessary packaging.

Peeblesshire’s very own Greta Thunberg is 11-year old Kyra Burnett-Godfree, who set up Fridays for Future peaceful protests back in March, in an attempt to raise awareness and call for action on climate change.

And after two successful marches under her belt and a third in the pipeline, the environmental activist has also met with the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who was put on the hot seat and questioned on the Scottish Government’s action on climate change.

Inspired by the recent BBC documentary ‘War on Plastic’, the P7 Priorsford pupil is helping to organise an event to raise awareness about the amount of unnecessary single use plastic packaging in supermarkets.

Plastic is choking our oceans, threatening wildlife and even ourselves. Yet it still adorns the shelves of supermarkets.

But next Friday at 2pm the anti-plastic protesters are inviting local people to do their shopping at Sainsbury's and Tesco, remove the packaging and return it to the supermarkets to encourage big businesses to ditch unnecessary plastic packaging.

Speaking to the Peeblesshire News this week, Kyra said: “I think it's important that we don't just march around the streets and talk about climate action. What we really have to do is follow it up and make changes to our carbon emitting and waste producing lifestyles.”

Kyra said the BBC documentary left her in a state of shock.

“We make such an effort to recycle and think we're doing our bit when, in actual fact a vast amount doesn't end up getting recycled. I think supermarkets and food producers need to reduce their packaging so we don't have to put as much into the recycling bin.

“As a family, we've been trying to avoid buying food with plastic packaging in supermarkets but it's not easy. Even cucumbers are wrapped in plastic! The majority of fruit and veg are more expensive without packaging than with packaging. Surely it should be cheaper with no packaging?”

Kyra hopes to show local supermarkets that reducing packaging is important to the community.

“It will also give the supermarkets the chance to explain to us what their plans are for reducing waste, as we know that some of them are making an effort.”

As well as her call to arms to fight the plastic battle dominating our supermarket shelves, Kyra is planning a third peaceful protest later in September.

And when she’s not busy planning protests and urging shoppers to unwrap in supermarkets, Kyra also found the time to meet Nicola Sturgeon along with fellow protestors at the Beyond Borders event this week.

She plucked up the courage to ask the First Minister if the Scottish Government will encourage schools to introduce climate change into the curriculum.

Ms Sturgeon told the youngster of the initiatives that are on-going and said the “power and the voice of young people” is what is going to help accelerate what the Government is doing.

Do you want to join Kyra in her community effort to tackle climate change?

•The Supermarket Plastic Give Back event is on Friday, September 6 at 2pm at Tesco or Sainsbury’s.

And on Friday, September 20 at 3pm is next peaceful protest is on Tweeg Green in Peebles. For further information please visit Fridays For Future Peebles on Facebook.