Green Matters -
January 2008
Bag yourself a trendy carrier and help Hackney move towards becoming a plastic bag free zone
The Council’s recycling team is working with 46 shops to end plastic bag use in the borough.
When residents visit these stores, they will be offered a free cotton bag instead of a plastic carrier. The trendy bags sport a quirky ‘reuse me’ message on the side and will be much sought after.
Once you’ve got your hands on one, why not try and adopt more sustainable shopping practices, which will help reduce waste and could save you money.
It’s really easy, it doesn’t take any extra time and it can make a real difference. To get your own ‘reuse me’ cotton bag, visit any of the participating stores: Reuse me bags (PDF 1064KB)
Key Fact: 150million plastic bags are used in the UK every week and each one takes 100 years to rot away.
Say no to plastic bags: The council wants to wipe out plastic bags waste in Hackney. Take the online pledge to offer your support to the campaign
Shop SMART (Save Money & Reduce Trash):
- Avoid buying over-packaged food products – put fruit and vegetables, in your basket loose, rather than using a plastic bag.
- Choose packaging that can be recycled, such as foil, paper and cardboard.
- Buy in bulk as you’ll get more product in less packaging.
- Don’t buy disposable items like razors, cameras and pens.
- Buy a water filter and refill your bottles, instead of buying bottled water.
- Freeze your home cooking in reusable containers, rather than buying over-packaged convenience food.
- Try to repair things before buying replacements.
- Plan your meals for the week ahead, make a list before you go shopping to avoid buying items you don’t really need
- Use cotton bags when you shop, to reduce plastic bag waste. Alternatively, reuse your old plastic bags as many times as possible before disposing of them.
More on Recycling | More on Greener Hackney
Page updated: 8 May 2008