For many years Pacific Palms Markets has banned all single use plastic food containers.
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Recently the entire market switched to compostable packaging on all stalls, reducing the amount of plastic waste that often ends up in the oceans.
Now the market committee has taken a further step towards environmental responsibility and is sponsoring the newest Boomerang Bags group and showcasing their products at the markets, starting from Sunday, August 27.
Boomerang Bags are made by volunteers from donated and recycled fabrics.
They are left at participating retail outlets which provide them to customers who have forgotten their own reusable bags.
When the customer returns next time, they can bring back the bags, hence the name "boomerang:" they keep coming back
Volunteer sewing groups are springing up in many places, and the latest group is Midcoast, with members coming from Hallidays Point and Taree in the north down to Bungwahl in the south
Nicole Caruthers of Green Point and her hard working crew have produced more than 200 bags, while human dynamos Leonie Dowell and Sandra Rowe have also been busy setting up the operation.
JR Richards and MidCoast Waste also have given invaluable support.
The efforts of the Midcoast group have been helped enormously by a donation from MidCoast Waste plus a donation and support from the Palms Market Committee.
Resource Recovery Australia donated a large quantity of fabric and a sewing machine from the Tip Shop.
Many thanks to everyone for this generosity, which has enabled Midcoast Boomerang Bags to buy the signage, printing screens, inks, labels and other necessities to set up the production.
More volunteers are always welcome, there are roles for those who don't sew too: for example cutting, ironing, screen printing.....lots of tasks.
Looking forward, the Midcoast Boomerang Bags Groups has plans to make a 'high end' product for purchase, so the effort will be financially viable in the future.
Come and meet Nicole and the Bag Ladies at the next Palms Markets, 9am-! pm at the Pacific Palms Community Centre, Lakes Way (behind the Recky Club).
Pacific Palms - as plastic free as we can be!"
