SOUVENIR cups distributed by environmentally-conscious Swanage Carnival organisers have been turning up - for the right reasons - across the world.

The Swanage Carnival Cup Competition evolved from a decision to use branded reusable cups at this year's carnival and regatta, a move that reduced the use of more than 30,000 single-use plastic cups.

Visitors paid a deposit when buying their drinks, and at the end of the event - which raised £1,000s for local charities - they either returned their reusable cup and claimed back their deposit or took away the branded beaker as a souvenir.

After it became clear many people were choosing to hold onto their cups, the carnival team launched a competition to see who could supply a photograph of one the furthest away from Swanage.

Contest organiser Kevin Langdon said: "The response was simply staggering.

"We thought a few people would send in photos of their cups, but we never imagined that people would be so keen to travel with their carnival cups - and were even sending cups to family and friends abroad.

"Carnival cups have travelled to America, Mexico, Europe, Dubai, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand."

The eventual winner, Paul Sinclair, snapped his cup at Slope Point, New Zealand - which is 11,935 miles from Swanage.

Goadsby estate agents, who sponsored the competition, has even donated a bottle of champagne to the winner.

Company divisional director Gavin Harris said: "This was a great bit of fun for a competition, we were glad we could help support Swanage Carnival.

"The carnival cups have proved a huge success and a great way to advertise Swanage Carnival, but more importantly have helped spread the message to reduce, reuse and recycle."

Single-use plastics and the environmental damage they cause became cemented in the nation's psyche after Sir David Attenborough's latest series of The Blue Planet.

Each year around 400million tonnes of plastic is produced, with 40 per cent of this estimated to be single-use.

More than eight million tonnes of plastic enters the world's seas and oceans each year, which has been proved to have devastating consequences for marine life.