Plastic-free fantastic

By Dion Teasdale
YOUNG Healesville resident has initiated a waste reduction project which could see the town plastic bag free in the next few years.
Erin Murphy, 22, has embarked on a project that will involve the design and creation of an environmentally friendly reusable Healesville township shopping bag.
Ms Murphy, who works at Hedgend Maze and is a volunteer at the Yarra Valley Visitor Information Centre, has devised the project as a participant in the Shire of Yarra Ranges Young Leaders Program.
“The aim of my project is to create a reusable, custom-designed shopping bag unique to Healesville to encourage people to reduce waste,” she said.
“The project will also include the development of a frequent-user program. People who use the bags will be rewarded for reusing and recycling.”
Ms Murphy said the unique Healesville shopping bag would be made from environmentally friendly materials and feature a design by local artists.
“The design of the bag will incorporate icons of the Healesville community, such as the platypus, and I hope locals and visitors to the area will use them,” she said.
“I will be approaching local businesses and setting up a rewards program for people who use the bags and, at this stage, I’m hoping the bags will be available from local businesses by the end of the year.”
Ms Murphy said the bags would come with a card which businesses would be asked to stamp each time the bag is used by a customer.
“When the card is full people will be eligible for prizes and rewards,” she said.
“I’m hoping the design of the bags and the rewards program will encourage people to get behind the project and keep it sustainable.”
Ms Murphy said she devised the shopping bag project because she is passionate about reducing the amount of waste produced in the local area.
“There are about 6 billion plastic bags produced in Australia each year. That’s about 12,000 per hour,” she said.
“My hope is that this project will help with the gradual phasing out of plastic bags in Healesville.”