A group of Wyndham women have embraced reusable bags, coffee cups and other items in a month-long challenge to minimise their environmental footprint.
Lisa Field, Alicia Polman and Trish Gregory have all refused to use single-use plastics – including shopping bags, packaging and coffee cups – for Plastic Free July, and have also encouraged fellow residents and traders to get involved.
The women are all members of Transition Wyndham, a community group aimed at supporting new and local enterprise, food and energy networks, and caring for the environment.
Ms Field said to successfully move away from using disposable items, it was important for people to have a survival kit with a reusable shopping bag, a reusable coffee cup, reusable cutlery and a reusable water bottle.
Ms Polman said refusing to use single-use plastic bags reduced the impact on the environment and the amount of rubbish sent to landfill, and saved money.
“It’s not hard, you need a little bit of forethought. If you know you’re going shopping, you take your bag,” Ms Polman said.
“We can talk with our money, with where we go and how we shop.”
Ms Polman said she had a mixed reaction to the recent announcement by Coles and Woolworths to phase-out single-use plastic bags within the next 12 months and offer more durable plastic bags at 15 cents apiece.
“Much of the value will be the conversations it’s bringing and awareness about single-use plastics.
“People still have to take responsibility and make sure they bring or reuse their bags.”
