Vale residents urged to ‘refuse or reuse’ carrier bags
The Vale
Council is delighted to be working with a new ‘green’ group, set up
to encourage Vale residents to reduce the use of plastic carrier
bags.
Penarth-based ‘Gwyrddio Penarth Greening’ (GPG) wants residents
and businesses to become more aware of the environmental cost of
using plastic bags by looking at what alternatives are available,
such as reusable jute bags.
The Vale Council has already given its full backing to the
campaign and council waste awareness officer Vicky Gowin recently
took to the streets of Penarth with Gwyrddio Penarth Greening’s
chair, Tricia Griffiths, and their plastic bag awareness project
leader Alison Norris to speak to local residents and retailers.
Vicky said: "As well as being a very visible form of littering,
particularly across parks and open spaces, plastic bags can
sometimes take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade and have been
responsible for the deaths of up to 10,000 marine mammals and a
million birds each year.
"The GPG plastic bag project in Penarth aims to raise awareness
about this waste issue by reducing the need to use plastic bags,
encouraging reuse where they do exist and promoting alternative
options."
GPG will be taking their message throughout the Vale this summer
by conducting retailer questionnaires and attending local events
such as the Penarth Festival in July.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet member for visible and
building services, Cllr Geoff Cox, suggests: "Research reveals that
education and raising awareness achieves results. For example in
2002 a scheme in Ireland required retailers to charge around 10
pence per carrier bag. This resulted in a 90% drop in the use of
carriers, illustrating that retailer power coupled with customer
awareness can produce phenomenal results."
Tricia Griffiths, chair of GPG, said: "At Gwyrddio Penarth
Greening we hope to involve all sectors of the community in
practical projects, helping them realise they can make a
difference; whether it be remembering to take out a reusable bag
shopping or using public transport when possible, individual
actions will help locally and ultimately have a positive impact on
our local environment and on climate change globally."
The Council sells reusable jute bags and has just reduced their
sale price from £1.50 to a very affordable 50p each. West House,
Penarth, the Civic offices in Barry and Council offices in
Eastgate, Cowbridge and Baron’s Close at Llantwit Major all have
them in stock.
For more information on living sustainably you may wish to visit
the Council’s recycling pages, telephone 01446 700111 or
email visible@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk
Gwyrddio Penarth Greening meet bi-monthly and are keen to hear
from any interested new members. You can either email:
gwyrddio.penarth.greening@googlemail.com or write to their Chair
Tricia Griffiths at Waltham House, Bradford Place, Penarth, Vale of
Glamorgan, CF64 1AG for more details about their work and planned
activities.