Noosa Council is leading by example in the effort to eliminate plastic bags.
Noosa Council staff members have noticed something new in their tearooms recently – Boomerang Bags.
In a simple but effective initiative, Council is encouraging its employees to become leaders in its Towards Zero Waste program by using the bags provided.
The Boomerang Bags are re-useable, made from recycled cloth and created by local volunteers who are busily producing thousands of the bags to provide to local residents for free.
Council staff members are urged to ditch the plastic bag and bring their own re-useable bags from home, or use a Boomerang Bag when they need one.
The road to being a plastic bag-free shire is a long one, but Council’s Waste and Environmental Health Manager Wayne Schafer said employees are getting behind the no-plastic philosophy.
Staff member, Cherie, said Boomerang Bags were a way for residents to help reduce the stream of plastic bags headed for landfill.
“After being disgusted at plastic bag disposal around the world, and then being shocked to see how quickly our own landfill is filling up with plastic bags, I spent a fortune buying the $2 re-useable supermarket bags because I kept forgetting to bring my own bags to the shops.
“Now I just need to remember to take a Boomerang Bag with me when I leave the office at lunch time so that I don’t buy another bag I don’t need!”
Fellow staff member, Cliona, agreed: “I have completely ditched using plastic bags as part of my New Year’s resolutions. I was inspired to do this after attending the launch of a documentary in Bali where two young girls are successfully on a mission to make Bali plastic bag free by 2017.
“To make sure that I stick with my plastic bag ban, I buy an environmental bag at the supermarket or shops every time that I forget to bring them. This quickly made me form a habit of taking re-useable bags everywhere I go.”
Getting rid of plastic bags in the Shire is written into Council’s Towards Zero Waste program and Council is right behind the Boomerang Bag initiative.
Noosa Council is currently seeking volunteers and donated cloth to contribute to the program.
