A HEXHAM author has vowed to forgo plastic for a month in an attempt to raise funds to help with a global mission to clean-up the ocean.

Dr Sarah Stovell, who also works as a university lecturer, is aiming to generate at least £1,000 by not buying or discarding any plastic goods for the whole of September.

That means she’ll be placing an order for milk in glass bottles from her local milkman, avoiding buying any food in plastic wrapping and even swapping her contact lenses for glasses.

Her efforts will be aimed at helping to fund The Ocean Cleanup, a project founded in 2013 to tackle five vast patches of rubbish which have accumulated across the world.

The biggest is thought to be between Hawaii and California and is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

“Scientists had thought it would be impossible to clear the ocean of plastic,” explained Sarah, a mother-of-two.

“However, a young inventor from Holland has recently designed The Ocean Cleanup, a system of highly advanced technology that will clear the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within 10 years.

“Running the clean-up will be expensive and at the moment, world governments are not helping to finance it so it requires crowdfunding.”

Every year around eight million tons of plastic are thought to enter the world’s oceans. Most of this is from rubbish dropped on land which is then blown into waterways that sweep it out to sea.

“I’m increasingly shocked at how far we’ve gone in degrading the environment and destroying the planet,” added Sarah, who has written historical fiction books and is working on two new psychological thrillers.

“I am going to spend a month attempting to go plastic-free to raise money to help.”

The challenge will begin on September 1 and Sarah will blogging about her experience at livingwithoutplastic.blogspot.co.uk

Donations can be posted online at www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/sarah-stovell.