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Yr Wyddfa could be the first plastic-free mountain

Rob Saunders Litter on SnowdonRob Saunders
Every year volunteers fill their litter bags with rubbish found on the mountain

A project to make Wales' highest mountain the first in the world to be plastic-free will launch next week.

Visitors to Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, will be discouraged from taking any plastic with them on their hikes.

About 600,000 people climb the mountain every year, with litter often seen strewn along its routes.

The project is in response to growing concerns over the impact of plastic on the environment.

Getty Images A view from the peak of SnowdonGetty Images
Yr Wyddfa is the highest peak in Wales at 3,560ft (1,085m)

The 'Plastic Free Yr Wyddfa' project will be launched by Eryri National Park on 24 April as part of a discussion on the mountain's future.

Alec Young, the Plastic Free Yr Wyddfa project officer, told BBC Radio Wales on Thursday that he wants walkers to "reuse, refill and recycle" and "leave no trace" of their visits.

Snowdonia Society litterSnowdonia Society
Volunteers collected hundreds of bags of rubbish from the national park in 2020

"The first thing we're going to do is raise awareness about the damaging effects of plastic and general litter and we're going to do that by using the powerful messaging of a plastic free status or designation," Mr Young said.