EJ Members gang up to remove Witches' Knickers in the New Forest
EJ Members The Barn Vegetarian Guest House, Vandanamu Fair Trade and Onya Bags have teamed up to launch the ‘Bags for the Future’ project in the New Forest. Their target is plastic shopping bags (known as Witches’ Knickers in Ireland when they hang from trees and bushes!). The New Forest National Park’s Sustainable Development Fund has granted over £3000 to tackle the problem.
The Barn is situated in Ashurst, Hampshire, within the New Forest National Park. And owners Richard and Sandra Barnett, have been inspired by the success of Modbury, Hebden Bridge and others in going Plastic Bag Free. They aim to do something similar in their local village.
The grant will pay for the production of organic cotton bags that will be delivered to every household in Ashurst. Fairtrade organisation Vandanamu will organise the production via a women’s co-operative in Pondicherry, South India. The community was devastated by the Boxing Day Tsunami and bag making has become a lifeline for the people there.
The local Junior School (Foxhills) is running a competition amongst its pupils to come up with the design for the bag. And the project will also see sessions run at the school covering the dangers of plastic bags for wildlife, issues of Fairtrade and the problems associated with non-organic cotton production.
Local retailers are being asked to consider more environmentally friendly alternatives to the plastic bag and the biggest store has already pledged its support. Another EJ member, Onya Bags, has provided samples of its wonderful range to show what is available for shoppers.
Plastic bag amnesties are planned where shoppers will be given free cotton bags in exchange for their plastic ones.
The project in Ashurst has caught the attention of a further seven Parishes in the New Forest who now want to follow the lead with similar action. "It’s a real example of positive action" says Richard "We’re aiming for an educational project that will give people important information. We hope that they will choose to alter their behaviour as a result. The New Forest is an area of outstanding natural beauty but sadly it’s spoilt, like most other places, by litter, especially plastic bags."
The project is an example of how the EJ network can make a practical difference and help tackle real issues.
For more information email bagsforthefuture@veggiebarn.net
This project is partly funded by the New Forest National Park’s Sustainable Development Fund
Tags: energy, environment, finance