Modbury-A Town Without Plastic
by Bonnie Alter, London on 04.30.07
Modbury, a sleepy little town of 1,500 residents in South Devon, has become the first town in Britain to ban plastic bags. As of May 1, customers will be allowed to bring their own plastic bags to reuse, but if they want a new bag they will have to buy one. A range of bags made of recycled cotton with organic and fairtrade certification will be available as will cheaper and biodegradeable cornstarch bags. It all started when a local resident went to Hawaii on a film shoot and was moved to tears by the impact of all the plastic rubbish on marine life. She said "It's estimated 100 billion tonnes of plastic are floating round our world's oceans entangling and being ingested by pretty much every single marine creature." When she returned to Devon she found the seas there full of plastic as well. She then set about convincing the 43 shopkeepers and traders to try this no-plastic experiment for six months. Whilst being nervous about the reaction of residents, she said that "Modbury's quite an old-fashioned town and a lot of people have wicker baskets to go out shopping anyway." So committed are the retailers that they have commissioned 2,000 official Modbury bags that will be made in India and printed in the UK with water-based organic ink. All the shops' unused plastic bags are being sent to a factory where they will be recycled into plastic furniture. There are plastic bag amnesty points being set up where people can bring all the hundreds of bags that they keep stored under the kitchen sink. :: BBC News
It's really cool how one person started the movement to lessen the use of plastic bags! I hope something similar like this will happen in America, but I doubt it will happen anytime soon... Though, IKEA in California started to charge people who asked for plastic bags! I wonder how we can make the movement happen here in the States....
Additionally, in South Korea people are always carrying their own shopping bag in their purse. All the stores charge (per bag) if you ask for a plastic bag. You actually get 10 cents back if you take your own bag to certain stores! We should band together and start a movement here too!
I like the idea, but what happens when you go bulk shopping?
i'm a french 16 year-old student. I've just seen your action on french TVnew.
i'm quite amaze by your idee, well, i find this interresting, it should be an exemple!
the videos about animals deseases were very chocking, it made me react, why not making a similar thing in my town. I did appreciate the way the comercants have accepted, bravo! a such mobilisation is remarkable. be proud of beeing the first village to do that.
i hope this quest will go on acrooss all coutries.
*thanks*
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I think it is very commendable of the resident of Modbury to come up with the non plastic bag idea.It is people such as this that deserve credit and recognition for contributing something to the environment and community.I just hope the idea can spread nationwide.
I live in Sweden, here you always pay about 0.15$ to get a plastic bag. The money goes straight into the shop owner's pocket (no tax or such), but I guess it keeps the over-use away. I think the Modbury example is fantastic anyway.