A ZERO plastic waste shop and café has opened the town's first food and drinks carton recycling point.

The founder of The Core, a juice bar, cafe, and plastic-free shop on Devizes Road, is now tackling the issue of recycling the problematic cartons.

Brands such as Tetra Pak are commonly made from a mixture paperboard, polyethylene, and aluminium foil, and are not accepted by kerbside collections in Swindon.

Kris Talikowski, who opened the business six years ago, said: “Here at the Core we have always been committed to being as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. Through our workshops we encourage people to swap to dairy-free milk, as it is better for your health, however, these healthier products often come in cartons which cannot be easily recycled.

"We felt there was a disparity between advising people to consume a product which is healthier for your body, yet not helping the environment.”

The company recently teamed up with Nude Foods to sell around 50 plastic-free products, everything from yoghurt-covered raisins to dried lentils, which shoppers have to buy using their own containers.

Chris added: “Since we opened up a section of the cafe to launch the 'Nude Foods' Zero Waste shop, I have become even more committed to creating solutions for reducing waste and to offer better recycling.

“This seemed like a positive thing to offer the people of Swindon and it won’t cost them anything apart from the time it takes to wash, flatten and bring in the cartons.”

Anyone wanting to recycle their cartons need to wash the container out with warm water, flatten or fold it without the lid, and then put the lid back on. Straws can be put inside the carton.

The collected cartons will be recycled at a dedicated facility in West Yorkshire where they are made into coreboard which is converted into tubes and cores, such as hot chocolate and gravy granule containers.

The company's takeaway cups are made from biodegradable material and can be put in the compost.

The Core is open for collections from Monday to Friday 8am - 3pm and Saturday 8am - 4pm.