Jeannie Richardson from Wasteless Pantry and Mundaring in Transition member Lizzy Fox with some of the Boomerang Bags available at Wasteless Pantry.
Camera IconJeannie Richardson from Wasteless Pantry and Mundaring in Transition member Lizzy Fox with some of the Boomerang Bags available at Wasteless Pantry. Credit: Supplied/David Baylis        www.communitypix.com.au d468989

Boomerang Bags: Hills residents getting back at plastic

Sarah BrookesHills Avon Valley Gazette

The Wasteless Pantry co-owner Jeannie Richardson said the store had teamed up with Mundaring in Transition to sew reusable Boomerang Bags to provide shoppers with an alternative to using plastic bags.

Ms Richardson said there were 200 Boomerang Bags in circulation, with plans to spread the initiative across the Shire.

“The bags are made by volunteers from donated and recycled materials,” she said.

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“They are designed to be used and returned to any Boomerang Bag receptacle for others to use.

“They are perfect for those times we forget our own reusable bags.”

Ms Richardson said the Boomerang Bags initiative started in 2013 when two women from Burleigh Heads met up with the dream of reducing plastic bags in their community.

“Thanks to dozens of amazing supporters and hundreds of dedicated volunteers, Boomerang Bags are now spreading into communities Australia-wide and overseas,” she said.

“Kalamunda has just started its own Boomerang Bag community, as have Roleystone and Victoria Park.”

Earlier this month WA Environment Minister Stephen Dawson called on the Waste Authority to investigate ways of curbing the availability of plastic bags.

“The Government is investigating how we might support local communities who choose to ban single-use plastic bags, as well as the viability of a state-wide ban of plastic bags,” he said.

Swan Mayor Mick Wainwright said since October the WA Local Government Association had been gauging interest from councils on how to approach plastic bag pollution.

“While the City of Swan supports the WALGA proposal to ban plastic bags from WA shops, it has not pursued introducing local laws to do so,” he said.

“Any form of ban should be implemented at a State level to ensure a uniform approach is pursued throughout WA.

“It would see WA join South Australia, ACT, Tasmania and Northern Territory, who have all implemented plastic bag bans with positive results.”

The Shire of Kalamunda and the Shire of Mundaring agreed a state-wide ban on plastic bags was the best option rather than individual local governments introducing a local law.

Shire of Mundaring acting chief executive Mark Luzi said it would monitor the progress and results of other local laws.

“The Shire has been monitoring how other states implement plastic bag bans and the unsuccessful attempts by the City of Fremantle to introduce a local law banning shops to use plastic bags within Fremantle,” he said.

Mr Luzi agreed a state-wide approach would be preferable to individual local governments having to introduce local laws.

A notice of motion has been received by a Mundaring councillor to consider this matter further at the June council meeting.

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