How your city can become plastic bag free

Published on October 27, 2005 By Rajiv Badlani In Business

Fitzroy Falls sets a fine example of how this can easily be done. Some cities in Australia did this by having their local government invest in cloth bags and hand them out free to every citizen. Some cities that thrive on tourism had citizens take a pledge to each buy and use cloth bags. But Fitzroy Falls has followed what appears to be simplest path. They utilized the local retail network and citizens bought cloth bags from the retailers they do business with. The local council imported cloth bags at a lower cost because they could place a larger order than any individual could. Then they sold them to local retailers who are allowed to mark them up so that they can make some money on them and order more. Deputy Mayor Nick Campbell-Jones said the declaration of Fitzroy Falls as a plastic bag-free town was an example for the rest of the shire to follow. "This is the first locally-branded, re-useable shopping bag in the area and it goes some way towards the creation of a sustainable community," he said. Local students were encouraged to come up with a design for the re-useable bags which would express an environmentally responsible message and also promote the Fitzroy Falls region. "Early on we realised that the best way to proceed with the campaign was by consulting with the local community. We spoke to local businesses to establish what their issues of concern were as well as getting the kids involved in creating the design," Ms Katz said. "The launch today shows that even small communities can make a stand against plastic bags and offer viable alternatives." Diane Garwood stressed the environmental damage plastic bags do to the environment. "Plastic bags have an enormous impact on the marine environment and are responsible for the deaths of 100,000 birds, seals or wild turtles every year," she said. Would you like your community to be plastic bag free? Write today to Rajiv@badlani.com and I’ll be happy to work out a specific plan for your community. You can select from the vast variety we have at www.badlani.com/bags/and we’ll be happy to print your community’s message on them for you.

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