Port Stephens Supermarkets Say Goodbye to Single Use Bags Nelson Bay (Tomaree Peninsula areas) Port Stephens News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - July 4, 2018 Nigel Dique, Roger Yeo, Mark Clifton and Daryl Dawson of Port Stephens Eco-network want to see an end to plastic shopping bags as plastic as it breaks down threatens our fragile coastal environment. Photo by Marian Sampson. WOOLWORTHS has backflipped on part of their roll out of the cessation of single use plastic bags at checkouts for customers by providing their reusable plastic shopping bags to shoppers for free until 8 July. Modern Media: Advertise with News Of The Area and you get your ad in 1) in Print, 2) on the News Website (like this ad), and 3) on our Social Media news site. A much more efficient way to advertise. Reach a HUGE audience for a LOW price TODAY! Call us on 02 4983 2134. Or media@newsofthearea.com.au Or CLICK FOR ADVERT QUOTE These bags were originally being charged to shoppers for 15 cents each. NSW is the only State to have failed to ban the single use plastic bag. Waving goodbye to single use shopping bags at Woolworths and Coles this month is one way we are able to help the environment but we can do more through the choices we make, and by changing our shopping behaviours. Port Stephens Greens welcomed the demise of environmentally harmful single use plastic bags and handed out recyclable multi-use paper bags outside Woolworths at Salamander Bay. Sea Shelter founder Lia Pereira told News Of The Area, “At the recent clean-up of Marsh Road at Bob’s Farm community volunteers collected 933 full plastic bags and 2922 pieces of plastic bag.” She believes that it is important for consumers to not simply buy the reusable plastic bags but the enviro bags to replace their single use grocery bags. “Getting plastic out of the marine environment is important, it kills our marine life.” she said. Eco-network Port Stephens is also welcoming the reduction in single use plastic bags. They believe that we have almost come full circle, prior to the introduction of single use bags we all took our own bags or basket shopping, now we simply need to introduce new habits which will benefit the environment. Nigel Dique of Eco-Network said, “We would like to see all retailers remove single use bags from their inventory.” Robyn Williams of the Port Stephens Greens said, “Port Stephens Greens will be again be giving away free paper bags on 1 July at selected Coles stores in Port Stephens.” By Marian SAMPSON