March 9, 2009

photo courtesy of tessmann.net

Click here for a list of businesses & organizations carrying the coveted Eco-Bag

What was the "Grab Your Bag" Campaign?

"Grab Your Bag" was the final phase the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce campaign to dramatically reduce single use plastic bags in the Comox Valley. This campaign, which took place in February of 2009, included 64 local businesses leading an effort to reduce plastic bag use and to begin to address the excessive use of plastics in our day to day lives. The Chamber led this initiative through coordinating a large scale purchase of Comox Valley Eco-Bags, through distributing stickers, buttons and other reminders to stores and consumers, and through coordinating media and public relations about plastic bag use and alternatives.

Why try to dramatically reduce plastic bag use?

The Retail Council of Canada, the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, The Union of BC Municipalities, and the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores, BC Council on Recycling, environmental organizations, governments (including our local CVRD) and many others have identified the excessive use of single use plastic bags as a major concern. All plastic bags require fossil fuels for their creation, even the oxy-biodegradable ones. We all know that we need to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels to reduce our contribution to global warming. These bags contribute to the non-biodegradable waste that is filling up local landfills. Bags that don’t make it to the landfill harm wild animals in the oceans and on land. Less than 3% of the billions of plastic bags used annually in Canada are actually ever recycled. Plastic bags provide a tangible common focus for our efforts to re-think how much we consume and how much packaging is used for the things we buy.

What was our goal?

The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce led this project to encourage business and citizens to work together to dramatically reduce plastic bag use in the Comox Valley and to show what is possible when a critical mass of shoppers start buying and using re-usable bags - and remembering to bring them back to the store. If we reduce our use by 50-80% we will make a huge difference! Even if we take our meats and frozen items in plastic and all our dried goods/fruit and veggies in reusable bags will achieve a significant reduction.

photo courtesy of tessmann.net

How can you get involved?

Start to look at ways to move your organization or business towards being "Bag Free' . Purchase reusable bags and always give your customers the opportunity to choose whether they take a bag or not. If you are a consumer, remember to use your re-usable bag. Create reminders for yourself and your family members, leave them at the front door or re-load your vehicle after you bring groceries home. Purchase one of the Comox Valley Eco Bags from a participating retailer and thank them for being part of this campaign.

Click on the link at the top of this page for a list of local businesses and organizations that supported this campaign.

More on Bag Free Campaigns around the world?

Great ideas for a bag free world www.greenerfootprints.com

An incredible and beautiful film about plastic pollution in the South Pacific www.messageinthewaves.com

The town of Modbury becomes the first in the United Kingdom to become plastic bag free. Check out their website about how South Devon turned their backs on plastic shopping bags www.plasticbagfree.com

The Global Marine Litter Information Gateway: www.marine-litter.gpa.unep.org

From the Algalita Marine Research Organization:www.plasticdebris.org, www.algalita.org/pelagic_plastic_mov.html

A fairly comprehensive collection of articles and research on plastics. Mindfully.org is to be used as a nonprofit research tool. There are presently over 4,300 files, and that number grows daily www.mindfully.org/Plastic/plastic.htm

Fighting the plastic bag plague (checkout the “bags used this year” counter): www.reusablebags.com