What's wrong with plastic bags?

It's estimated that tens of thousands of seabirds choke on plastic and 143 species are known to have become entangled in plastic.  There's about 100 million tonnes of plastic in the sea and around 80% of the litter in the sea comes from the land.  not to mention the nasty stuff that's in plastic - substances that are known human carcinogens and hormone disruptors.  Scientists also reckon it will take around 1000 years for plastic to degrade sufficiently. (ASMFC, UNEP, Greenpeace, WHO, Algalita)

Why would it make a difference if I stopped using plastic bags?

There are around 10,000 households in the Chandler's Ford area.  If each household used an average of 6 new plastic shopping bags a week and you laid them all out in a row, a year's waste would stretch from Chandler's Ford to Milan.

Where are the repalcement bags made?

The bags are made in a small factory in a village in southern India that was devasted in the Tsunami in December 2004.

Why are they Fair Trade?

We operate through a company that works exclusively with these under-priveleged villages, helping their people develop sustainable livelihoods. This involves provision of training, facilities to enable people to apply and develop their skills, and crucially, the establishment of indigenous and export markets for them to supply

How much are they?

We are working to keep the costs to a minimum through Local Authority support and sponsorship.  The price per bag will be set in September 2008 but is likely to be around £3-£3.50 per bag, with discounts for buying more than one.

This sounds expensive...?

The Supermarkets will sell you their bags for less but the bags may not be true 'fair trade' made with certified organic cotton.  They certainly won't be able to tell the names of the people that made the bags by hand and which village they came from.  We can.  Why is this important?  We don't want to try and solve one problem by exacerbating another...

What are they made of?

The bags are hand-made using organic cotton.

Why are the bags made from organic cotton?

Organic cotton is free from the pesticides used on cotton grown by other methods.  These pesticides can leave the people that work in the cotton fields riddled with disease and suffering from disfigurement.

What size are the replacement bags?

The bags are about 40cm x 40cm with a gusset sewn in the sides and the bottom.

How can I get hold of the bags?

We are currently only working with specific organisations to supply our bags, we anticipate the public will be able to order online from May 2008.  If you are from an organisation and want to support the campaign by supplying our bags, click here.

When will gorillaLOCAL do this in my area?

gorillaLOCAL is currently only operating in Chandler's Ford in Hampshire.  We are but minnows in a big pond with busy lives trying our best.  Have a go yourself!  If you'd really like us to help you with a campaign in your area, please contact us.