“Holland and Barrett becomes first major retailer to ban plastic bags
“Customers at the chain’s 539 shops will no longer be offered disposable bags to carry home their purchases, as part of a drive to cut down on waste.”
See the full story in the Telegraph
We are very pleased to hear that Rebecca Hosking is in the New Year’s Honours List having been awarded an MBE for all her endeavours in Modbury.
Rebecca’s awareness of the environmental damage caused by disposable plastic bags led to Modbury being the first plastic bag free town. Since then, many towns have followed her lead and raised awareness throughout the UK.
Rebecca gave up, and still gives, so much of her personal time for the cause, this honour is well deserved.
National Plastic Bag Day was sunny, warm and great fun, and we would like to thank the following (in no particular order!) for their contribution to the success
The Morsbaggers of Blue Haze
Hazel of Blue Haze
Phil for his table
Justine (madame Mayor!) for her continued support and tireless work giving away bags
Bobbie for the heavy lifting
All the shops that gave us Tombola prizes (Waitrose, Starbucks, Oxfam, Lucia’s, Healthright and Sainbury’s)
Everyone who had a go on the tombola (sorry you didn’t win again Sian!!)
Everyone who stopped and talked to us on the stall or whilst ‘bagging’ in the market
Everyone who carries their cotton bags and refuses to use plastic, we love you!
This coming Saturday, September 12th, is National Plastic Bag Free Day, with over 50 events happening across the country.
We are having a stall in Market Square, with a tombola, our lovely bags for sale and lots of fun and games.
We will also be distributing the hard work of the Blue Haze Sweat Shop, over 100 free Morspod bags for everyone to use.
So pop down and say hello and make sure you, your friends and your family don’t use any plastic bags at all for this one special day!
Here is an article in today’s Independent, another excellent reason to not only stop using plastic bags, but also to reduce plastic use across the board…….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS9ZMXPgsEc
Be warned there is one little rude word, but it’s very quick and you’ll hardly notice it!!
Plastic Bag Free has just gone international!
With so many countries having banned single use plastic bags it is a great pity that the UK is still not one of them. None the less, the British shopper has cut down on use a tremendous amount so the message is getting out there.
There will always be the old die-hards of this ‘disposable’ generation who see convenience as another form of progress and accuse us of trying to live in the dark ages. But our shoulders have become pretty broad over the past couple of years:>)
So, what started as an idea we had in Julia’s living room during one PBFC meeting was mooted to the wider PBF community and took off. Several groups signed up to supporting a UK PBF day. But then the international community got wind of it and wanted to spread the field wider.
So write it in your diary: 12th September, 2009.
We are planning an event in town that day but there is a lot of work to do before hand. We need all our supporters to write to the big chains and supermarkets asking them to support the day and use it as a lever towards become totally PBF free. We will be getting information out to you all shortly.
Please support this campaign and help us persuade Briatain to become a plastic bag free nation.
Well, the news is good if not perfect.
To quote Channel4 news: “Leading supermarkets and the government narrowly miss a target to reduce carrier bag use as figures published today show a 48 per cent drop.”
They are giving the supermarkets credit but I’m not so sure that is the right place to offer congratulation. I think it is more likely due the great British public say “No, thank you” when offered a plastic bag.
So a pat on the back to all our readers and keep up the good work:>)
It’s good to see that The Guardian are making suggestions for preventing plastic bags reaching landfill. Knit yourself this year’s fashion (or trashion) and make a clutch! Full instruction provided here!
Last Saturday we were outside Sainsbury’s handing out leaflets, selling our lovely bags (http://www.plasticbagfreechesham.co.uk/buy-a-bag.html) talking to shoppers and answering their questions about the campaign.
Sainsbury’s also joined in by having a Green Till for the day, a till where there were no free single use bags, so only people with their own bags, or those willing to pay for bags for life could go through. It proved so popular that they had to open a second till next door!
We were all really heartened to see how many shoppers were carrying their own bags or boxes, as well as the guilty looks and comments from those who had forgotten them. It seems like habits are really starting to change, which is great.
So thanks to Sainsbury’s for their support and to everyone who took the time to have a chat and add their verbal support, please don’t forget to carry your bags at all times!
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