SUPERMARKET giants Coles and Woolworths last week announced to great fanfare that they would phase out plastic shopping bags, a measure implemented by the communities of Cohuna and Leitchville more than a decade ago.
Both towns adopted a policy of no plastic bags in 2005, followed soon after by the entire Loddon Shire.
The revolutionary initiative was devised by waste and recycling business owner David Elliott in collaboration with Gannawarra Shire Council and community and business representatives, including Una IGA owner Wendy McGlone.
“It took a little while for local people to get used to it; there were a few grumbles and we had the odd customer dump their groceries on the counter and walk out, but most people embraced it,” Mrs McGlone told the Gannawarra Times.
The removal of plastic bags from Mrs McGlone’s business alone meant more than 3000 plastic bags per week were being kept out of landfill.
The executive officer of the region’s waste resource group welcomed Woolworths and Coles’ decision to phase out plastic bags, and congratulated dozens of local communities for leading the way years ago.
Woolworths said it wanted to play its part in reducing plastic bag usage and had made the decision “because it is the right thing to do as one of Australia’s largest retailers”.
Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Group executive officer Karen Fazzani said across the eight councils in the Loddon Mallee Region, 34 towns were ‘plastic bag free’.
“Those towns already don’t use plastic shopping bags any more, especially the towns that don’t have major chains,” she said.
“This is a positive step forward in trying to defend harm on our environment.”
