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Print article?Every person in the country uses an average of 167 plastic bags every year. That's 10 billion bags all together. A plastic bag takes up to 500 years to decay in landfill. There is an alternative. It's called a shopping bag.? (From Change the World for a Fiver)
The campaign will enable shops and shoppers all around the country to play their part in bringing about an end to the wasteful use of plastic shopping bags and all forms of excessive packaging.
David Robinson, founder of 'We Are What We Do' said:
?The success of ?I'm not a plastic bag? bodes really well for our campaign and we think it is a great opportunity for retailers and shoppers to demonstrate that we really do care about the damage we are doing to the environment as a result of some of our simplest every day actions.?
The campaign is asking retailers to put a 'Plastic Ain't My Bag' sticker in their shop windows to indicate to shoppers that they will not automatically be given a plastic bag for their shopping.
Retailers can also sign up for the ?Shop Wars' competition ? a 'tracker' which will enable them to provide details of how many bags they believe their shop is saving and to compete head to head with other retailers. The winner will be the retailer which saves the greatest number of bags in a month and they will be promoted on the 'We Are What We Do' website.
Shoppers are encouraged to support the campaign by always remembering to take a carrier bags when shopping; saying ?no? when offered bags (of any kind) unless carrying the goods is highly impractical or deeply embarrassing and supporting those shops that have signed up to the campaign or which have demonstrated a commitment to reducing bags and other forms of packaging.
David Robinson said:
?There is no doubt that the range of initiatives, of which ours is just one, are making a significant impact on the issue of plastic bag usage. Sainsbury's trialling 'no bag days', Waitrose introducing 'green tills' for people who have their own bags, paper bags in Primark, Superdrug asking customers if they really need a bag - something that has already brought about a 20% reduction in their bag usage - Tesco taking full page ads in the national press to promote their policies, an entire town in Devon giving up plastic bags and Virgin Megastore's nationally leading the charge in our new campaign. None of these things in and of themselves will result in an end to plastic bag usage, but each makes a significant contribution.
?Our aim with 'Plastic Ain't My Bag' is to have a window vinyl in every window in every shop in every high street in the country by Christmas, and for this to be the first Christmas that it is about as fashionable to carry plastic as it is to wear fur.?
