Boomerang Bags had their colourful launch in Bellingen today to the great satisfaction of co-ordinator Jo-Anne Low and her enthusiastic team of sewers.
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“I feel so proud to be standing here – it has been such a big learning curve,” Jo-Anne said.
“When my daughter Tara and I heard about Boomerang Bags, we went to find some … but there were none around town.
“So we could either wait or we could set up a group ourselves.
“Which is what we did – but we couldn’t sew, so we got a $99 machine and after a week of yelling and fighting we finally had one bag and were ready to share our new skill.
“This process has shown me that if you want change, you have to take the steps … plastic pollution is such a big problem, I hope people will turn off their screens and get involved and know that when you carry one of these bags, you are making a difference.”
Thanks to the efforts of Jo-Anne and her team, Boomerang Bags are now available in Bellingen IGA, the Bellingen Greengrocer, Kombu and also the Swiss Patisserie (soon).
Bags can also be purchased from some outlets – the cost is $5 and proceeds go towards buying needles and thread for volunteers to use.
“You can either buy a bag and keep it or you can borrow it and bring it back – I hope people use their common sense and wash bags if they need it.”
Fellow bag sewer, Lorelle Williams, said it was great to see the bags making their way into the town.
“It’s about time – we really need to pull together and make sure we have no more plastic in Bellingen,” Lorelle said.