Sunday, April 29, 2007

Modbury Joins the Club

English town bans plastic bags
AP, London, UK

A small town in southwest Britain is banning plastic bags in a bid to help the environment and cut waste — a move environmentalists believe is a first for Europe.
Shopkeepers in Modbury, population 1,500, agreed to stop giving out disposable plastic bags to customers on Saturday. They said paper sacks and cloth carrier bags would be offered instead...

6 comments:

S said...

I think what Modbury is doing is great! Lets hope other towns and cities across the world follow suit!

Monica Shaw said...

The Guardian ran this quote from the ban's primary proponent and wildlife camerawoman, Rebecca Hosking, who witness the effect of plastic bags in the Pacific:

"It really affected me," she said. "I have never cried behind a camera before. I'm not a blubby person. But it broke my heart to see animals entangled in plastic, albatrosses dying in plastic, dolphins trailing plastic and seals with their noses trapped in parcel tape roll. The sea is now like a trash can and the plastic is there for ever. It doesn't go away for hundreds of years. What I witnessed was just so unnecessary. All this damage is simply caused by our throwaway living."

I'd love to see her documentary. It just goes to show how one person can make a difference!

Caralion said...

hi all,
Inspired by Modbury I am on a mission to do the same in my home town of Newtown, (Powys, Wales UK). Any info/advice on doing so would be much appreciated. A new site will be opned Mid-June in support of this with opn line petitions and such like to encourage user-involvement!
lets keep it up. eh? :)

Jill at BagAge said...

I and a friend, were inspired to set up a small business called BagAge, selling reusable shopping bags, as we were so fed up with the unnecessary use of plastic bags. We are based in West Wales and like Carolion we are on a mission to encourage our local town to become plastic bag free. However the Welsh Assembly may make it happen throughout Wales as I read in the paper that Jane Davidson, Sustainability Minister, is proposing a plastic bag ban. Well done Jane Davidson, you have our wholehearted support! We should all lobby our local AM's so this legislation is realised.

Emmanuelle said...

In France, an entire region (Brittany, France) eliminated plastic bag since at least 4 years. It took only 3 months for the french of this region to get used to bring reusable bag and get over their disconfort. What do we need to do, to make it happen in CA.

Blackdove said...

Many grocery bags nowadays ARE biodegradable, although they look like plastic. Here's a nifty way to convert these grocery bags into trash bags. It's easy to do, convenient to use, and earth-friendly.