Plastic bags no more

David Knox 1607 - 1607 • Published 2 Apr 2008 10:00 0 Comments

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A SHOP-KEEPER has given 65,000 reasons why he is not helping his home town become Scotland"s first to become plastic bag free.

As from Monday, traders in Selkirk stopped issuing plastic bags to shoppers in an eco-friendly move.

But before the initiative was announced in November, butcher Gordon Newlands, who runs Halliwells, purchased a five-year supply of bags bearing his shop"s name.

He is one of the few Selkirk businesses still handing out plastic bags as the scheme got underway this week in preparation for the official launch on Friday, when large recycled cotton-style bag will be given away to the town"s 6,000 residents.

Mr Newlands is even running a competition offering £50 of meat vouchers for the furthest travelled Halliwells carrier bag and also the most unusual place in Britain for one of his bags to be

photographed.

He told the Border Telegraph: ' I support the campaign in principle, but there are 65,000 reasons why I cannot go along with it at the moment.

'That is the amount of plastic bags I currently have in stock and it is going to take about five years to get rid of them.

'There are a few shops in a similar position.

'The campaign might have shot itself in the foot by going ahead so early, but I wish them every success in what they are trying to do.'

Campaign organisers from Selkirk Plastic Bag Free are undeterred

and are pressing on with their claim of being Scotland"s first town.

They are following in the footsteps of Modbury in Devon which became Britain"s first plastic bag free town in May 2007.

Modbury"s website shows that several Scottish towns and cities - Banchory, Dunoon, Taynuilt, Dundee, North Berwick, Edinburgh, Falkirk, St Andrews and Ullapool - are all in the process of taking steps to shed the plastic bags.

But Selkirk has become the first to go plastic bag free even though there are still a few rebels within the Royal and Ancient Burgh which campaign organisers hope to talk round.

They say only four premises out of the town"s 108 shops and businesses have decided not to participate.

Another 12 shops have pledged their full support and will provide environmentally friendly alternatives once their current stock of plastic bags runs out.

But with around 96 per cent of the town"s traders committed to being a Plastic Bag Free Town, it meets the Modbury criteria set at 75 per cent.

Anna Hinnigan of Selkirk Plastic Bag Free, said: 'Some traders have not yet signed up to the pledge to stop distributing plastic bags for various reasons, but we hope to talk them round.

'There are also others who have been very supportive but say they have to get rid of their stock first which is understandable. But overall the response has been very encouraging and it is Selkirk"s own small contribution to what is a very important issue.

'We want Selkirk and the Borders to retain their natural beauty without being overrun by plastic bags blowing about in the wind.'

The large cotton bags being distributed to shoppers on April 4 come from Cornwall.

They are made in India and printed in the town"s colours of blue and scarlet in vegetable dye and also featuring a Selkirk design.

This article appeared in Border Telegraph 02 Apr 08

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