Tips For Councils And Towns
In April 2003 Coles Bay in Tasmania was the first town in Australia to go 'Plastic Bag Free' when the town joined Planet Ark to ban plastic check-out bags. You can read their story on our case studies page.
Planet Ark has since worked with the communities of Huskisson, Kangaroo Valley, Mogo and Oyster Bay in NSW and Birregurra, Cannon's Creek, Metung and Murtoa in Victoria to help them also become Plastic Bag Free Towns. You can read more of their stories in our Case Studies pages.
This is how your town can do the same:
1. Make sure your town or suburb is capable of going Plastic Check-out Bag Free.
A town or suburb that is capable of going Plastic Check-out Bag Free has all locally owned supermarkets and retail outlets. This makes it easier as the decision to ban plastic bags can be community driven at the very local level.
2. Designate a local champion to coordinate your town's Plastic Bag Free campaign.
3. Talk to your local Council and local community groups e.g Tidy Towns, Lions or Rotary clubs, that may be able to help you.
4. Compile a list of retailers in your town that use plastic check out bags.
It may be useful for you to identify those stores in your area that are already plastic check-out bag free. You can use the names of these retailers when you are persuading other retailers to stop using plastic check-out bags.
5. Order paper, calico, polypropylene or other reusable bags for every retailer to sell.
There are many options of size, style and material for reusable bags on the market today. Find local suppliers on the internet or via the phone book.
6. Write to all retailers in your town to invite them to join your Plastic Bag Free Town campaign.
7. Run an information night for retailers and the local community to attend.
Make sure you have read through the Frequently Asked Questions page on this website to help you answer questions you may be asked.
8. Get retailers to sign off on their commitment to go Plastic Bag Free.
9. Decide on a design to go on your town bags.
By having one design for the whole town you can save money as there will only be one set up cost. This also ties the whole community effort together.
10. Set a launch date for when your town will be Plastic Check-Out Bag Free.
This will be when the reusable bag orders arrive and can be distributed throughout the town.
11. Make local launch date announcements so all residents are aware of their town going Plastic Check-Out Bag Free.
Contact all local media to cover this.
12. Arrange Plastic Bag Free Town launch day.
Invite local Mayor to attend and speak. Notify all local media to cover launch.