Students start campaign
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
The quote may be attributed to Mhatma Ghandi, but two Taupo¯ students are putting it into practice, by campaigning to phase out single-use plastic bags.
Arabella Marshall and Kerre Collins, both 15, have just finished Year 10 at Tauhara College. As part of their studies they were able to work on a project of their choosing.
Their aim is for Taupo¯ retailers to opt not to hand out plastic bags.
So far the pair have some up with a logo and talked to Taupo¯ District Council stormwater and solid waste manager Brent Aitken about their plans. Their next step is to set up a meeting with Towncentre Taupo¯ to try to gain retailers’ support.
“We’d like shops to either say that they’re not giving out plastic bags and maybe have a sign in their window. We want Taupo¯ to be somewhere where there’s less plastic bags around and ultimately people bring their own bags to shops.
“We’ve got everything ready, it just needs to be put out there.”
The girls have emailed companies that provide samples of biodegradable bags and paper bags and say shops that replace plastic bags with alternatives may well find they attract more customers with their environmentally-friendly approach.
Other towns such as Raglan have already gone plastic bag free and although Taupo¯ is a big town, the girls are confident it’s doable.
Taupo¯ already has its own community project, Boomerang Bags, which makes reusable bags for people to take shopping.
Kerre says while most people know plastic bags are harmful, it’s hard to get them to do anything about it and the number of bags being given out every year is astronomical.
Plastic bags do not break down in landfills and cause massive harm if they get into waterways and oceans.
Towncentre Taupo¯ general manager Julie McLeod says the organisation is working on a long-term goal of Taupo¯ becoming plastic bag free and there are local shops who have already done so.
Towncentre Taupo¯’s steps towards reducing plastic bag use had included giving out jute bags during the Shop in Taupo¯ campaign last year and supporting Boomerang Bags by providing space for them to work in.
“In the New Year we intend to have information on our website on how businesses can go plastic bag free and highlighting those who are doing it. We’d also like to have stickers for plastic bag free retailers to have in their windows.”
Julie says Towncentre Taupo¯ would love to work with Arabella and Kerre and any other students and groups to spread the message about plastic bags. “It takes a whole community to make something like this take off, so any other organisations that would like to be part of it, we’d love to hear from them.”