The Church of England has urged worshippers to give up single-use plastic during Lent in a bid to remind them to "care for God's creation".

It has sent a list of climate-conscious commandments to its 42 dioceses, in which it advises parishes to ditch plastic cups and encourages worshippers to bring their own mugs to church.

The tips also suggest using fountain pens, keeping a set of cutlery in the car and using toothbrushes made from bamboo.

It recommends streaming films, TV programmes and music online as opposed to buying DVDs and CDs, and suggests using bars of soap instead of liquid hand wash.

The church also warns of the dangers of raiding your hotel mini bar as it can be "not only incredibly expensive but they all come in plastic packages or bottles".


Image: The calendar instruction suggested worshippers took their own mugs to church

The calendar instruction reads: "For Anglicans Lent is the time when we remember the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, facing challenge and temptation.

"It is a time when we reflect on God's purpose for our life. This year we challenge you to give up single-use plastics – to reduce the actions which damage God's creation."

Church of England environmental policy officer Ruth Knight said environmental issues tied into the Christian "calling".

She said: "The Lent challenge is about raising our awareness of how much we rely on single-use plastics and challenging ourselves to see where we can reduce that use.

"It ties in closely with our calling as Christians to care for God's creation."

Prince Charles joins fight against plastic waste

The guidance comes after dozens of senior Tory MPs - including Environment Secretary Michael Gove - vowed to cut down on their plastic use for Lent.

Business Secretary Greg Clark and 11 other ministers said they would stop using water bottles, plastic cutlery and disposable coffee cups in an effort to boost their green credentials.

The action for Lent - which started on Wednesday and finishes on 29 March - comes as a Sky News investigation found thousands of tons of plastic scrap collected for recycling from British households were transported and dumped at sites across the world.