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How other towns are doing it...
How towns can follow the lead of Coles Bay, Tasmania
Make sure your town or suburb is capable of going Plastic Check-out Bag Free.
A town or suburb that is capable of going Plastic Check-out Bag Free has all locally owned supermarkets and retail outlets. This makes it easier as the decision to ban plastic bags can be community driven at the very local level.
Designate a local champion to coordinate your town's Plastic Bag Free campaign.
Talk to local community groups that may be able to help you.
Compile a list of retailers in your town that use plastic check-out bags.
It may be useful for you to identify those stores in your area that are already plastic check-out bag free e.g McDonald's. You can use the names of these retailers when you are persuading other retailers to stop using plastic check-out bags.
Order paper, calico and polypropylene bags for every retailer to sell.
Planet Ark can help you with this.
Please go to www.planetark.com/bagorders for more details. In Coles Bay the paper bags are being sold for $0.25c each and the calico bags are selling for $2.50 each.
Write to all retailers in your town to invite them to join your Plastic Bag Free Town campaign.
Planet Ark has a template letter you can use and a Plastic Bag Facts Sheet to include with your letter to retailers. Email vanessa@planetark.com to receive both of these.
Run an information night for retailers and the local community to attend.
Email vanessa@planetark.com to receive the Planet Ark Plastic Bag Facts Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions pages to hand out and to help you answer questions you may be asked.You can also show Planet Ark's Plastic Bag Free DVD compile to them. This DVD has some great footage of the whale that died after ingesting six square metres of plastic and also a segment about Coles Bay, Australia's First Plastic Bag Free Town.
Get retailers to sign off on their commitment to going Plastic Bag Free.
Planet Ark has a template form that you can use. Please email Vanessa Barclay vanessa@planetark.com
Decide on a design to go on your town bags.
Planet Ark can show you examples from other towns. By having one design for the whole town you can save money as there will only be one set up cost. This also ties the whole community effort together.
Set a launch date for when your town will be Plastic Check-Out Bag Free.
This will be when the reusable bag orders arrive and can be distributed throughout the town.
Make local launch date announcement so all residents are aware of their town going Plastic Check-Out Bag Free.
Contact all local media to cover this.
Arrange Plastic Bag Free Town launch day.
Invite local Mayor to attend and speak.
Notify all local media to cover launch
Source: http://www.planetark.com/campaignspage.cfm/newsid/55/newsDate/7/story.htm