Say No to Plastic Bags summit pulls in the big retailers

South Norfolk Council's Say No to Plastic Bags campaign just got another boost, thanks to a successful summit meeting with most of the major retailers.

Representatives from Morrisons (Diss), Waitrose (Wymondham), Budgens (Harleston and Poringland) Tesco (Hethersett) and Somerfield (Wymondham) attended the evening meeting to discuss campaign strategy.

Sainsbury sent apologies, but asked for the council’s advice toolkit on alternatives to plastic carrier bags to be sent to them.

The retailers who attended were part of a 50-strong audience, welcomed by campaign organiser, South Norfolk Council Chairman Joe Mooney.

He also personally received 19 apologies from other retailers across the district who could not attend, but still want to be involved.

Thanks to the meeting, councillors are also now planning to start ‘say No to plastic bags’ campaigns in Diss and Harleston, on top of those already under way in Wymondham and Hethersett.

The Ideal group of 130 stores have also now asked for information packs for each of their stores with a view to becoming a plastic bag free company.

Councillor Mooney said the meeting marked a real tipping point.

He said:

“I’m extremely pleased with the turnout. It represents a large slice of the retail market in South Norfolk and it proves that attitudes are changing. It appears that the time is right for this ‘Say No to Plastic Bags’ campaign.

“I would urge all retailers and residents to do their bit for the environment by saying no to plastic bags.

“By working in partnership with retailers and residents, I am convinced that South Norfolk will become a plastic carrier bag free zone.”

Many smaller stores, farmers’ market organisers, business forums, pubs and village campaigners also attended, alongside town, parish and district councillors.

They heard of the efforts being made by Waitrose store at Wymondham to tackle the issue and provide sustainable alternatives, and they watched a presentation and video from four student representatives of Wymondham High School’s Green Team.

The team – who are leading the campaign to make Wymondham plastic bag free - won applause for their passion and commitment as they delivered a positive message alongside shocking statistics on the damage plastic carrier bags do to the environment and wildlife.

Wymondham High School are now working with South Norfolk Council, the county council and the town council to organise a public meeting in the town to build on the growing support for the campaign to make it plastic bag free.

It will be held at the High School on Tuesday 18 March. Further details are available from the school. A petition on the issue has already attracted 500 names.

David Osborne, the council’s head of environmental services, also gave an introductory presentation on the huge scale of the challenge facing the council in managing the community’s 39,000 tonnes of refuse every year.

He said that in this annual refuse mountain, there are tens of thousands of plastic bags. All of them go to landfill where each one can take up to 1,000 years to break down.

On show at the meeting were a variety of reusable Hessian and jute bags, campaign posters and stickers, as well as the council advice toolkit on how to source alternatives to plastic carrier bags.

The toolkit was given to everyone at the meeting and will be sent to those who could not attend.

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