Community project to encourage sharing of reusable shopping bags

Iva Leonard is one of the many people who have contributed to the Whanganui Bag Recycling Project.

A community project to encourage people to recycle and share non-plastic shopping bags will be launched in Whanganui on Friday, October 27.

The Whanganui Bag Recycling Project will enable the community to use an initial stock of 250 free handmade fabric bags by providing a bag station at Trafalgar Square. People will be able to pick up a bag for their shopping and drop off any clean and tidy reusable bags for others to use.

Project spokeswomen Iva Leonard and Deb Halliday said the hope was that people would add to the stock of bags as the project gained momentum.

"The aim is to empower the community to work together to confront pollution because plastic bags are a huge environmental threat, mainly to marine life," Ms Leonard said.

"The concept is take freely and give freely. Bags don't need to be handmade, just any reusable ones except plastic."

Ms Leonard said it was expected that the station would be empty at times because all the bags had been taken "and that's okay".

"We are hoping the community will take ownership and contribute and take care of this self-managed station.

"It is not about the amount of bags, more about the idea. It is about the participation of individuals. It has been an amazing journey meeting the most amazing, incredible, helpful folks, who are as enthusiastic as we are, along the way."

A sewing group and individuals have made the fabric bags with donated fabric. Organisations and businesses that have helped with the project include Whanganui Home Sewing Centre, St John Op Shop, Koha Shed, Wholesale Clearance Shop, Men's Shed and Resene.

The project is seeking donations of old pillowcases, fabric and sewing supplies, including thread, to make more bags. Donations can be dropped off at the Koha Shed in Duncan St.