Plastic-free campaign steps up a gear (From Malvern Gazette)

Plastic-free campaign steps up a gear

4:27pm Thursday 28th February 2008 in News By Robert Hale

THE campaign to make Malvern a plastic bag-free town stepped up a gear this week with the first meeting of the pressure group co-ordinating the action.

At the meeting was a group of sixth-form students from the Chase who have set up a company under the Young Enterprise scheme to make long-lasting jute shopping bags which they hope shoppers will use instead of throw-away plastic.

The company, Blu-Genic, is taking delivery of 3,000 of the bags early next month, emblazoned with one of three slogans: Good As Green, Think Feel Shop Green, Refuse And Reuse.

Tom Knowles of Blu-Genic said: "We read about the campaign in the papers, and especially what they were doing in Upton, and we thought we could do something to contribute."

The bags are being manufactured by Evesham-based Jute Expo, a firm whose managing director, Barry Turner, lives in the Malvern area.

Once they've got the bags, the Blu-Genic crew will sell them to shoppers via Barnards Green traders Hunts and Just So. They will also be selling them at a Young Enterprise trade fair in Worcester next month.

At Wednesday's meeting, Matt Walker, owner of Leaf Cafe, said that Great Malvern Association of Trade was producing its own reusable bags.

Traders, district and town councillors and Green Party members were at the meeting.

Jan Dyer of the Green Party, who chaired it, said she was encouraged that different initiatives to reduce the use of plastic bags were being implemented.

The meeting, held at the Foley Hotel, decided to adopt the slogan Plastic Bags - No Thanks for its campaign. They will also be looking for a design for a kitemark' that businesses can display in their windows to show they are part of the campaign.