AS of last Sunday, the way we shop has changed, with major Myall Coast Retailers, Coles and IGA, putting an end to single use plastic carry bags.

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Following Aldi’s lead, shoppers will have to spend 15 cents for a plastic bag to carry their goods, or opt for an alternative, such as a Boomerang Bag.

Volunteers with the group were in high spirits outside IGA in Hawks Nest last Saturday morning as they marked the end of the free plastic bag era with a big sale of their $2 fabric bags.

‘’We’ve been inundated this morning,” Boomerang Bags Co-Ordinator Julie Sims told News Of The Area.

“For instance a lady came out of IGA with her arms full of groceries and said I need to buy some bags to carry my groceries.”

“That’s the point of the whole exercise,” Julie said.

“We’ve started off with over 150 bags this morning and we’re down to just a few.”

So what’s next for the Boomerang Bag group?

“We have to target the little plastic bags and the packaging used for fruit and vegetables,” Julie said.

“I’ve started making some bags from old curtain net fabric as produce bags.”

“They’re very fine, very light so they don’t affect the weight of your product at the checkout.”

The Tea Gardens Country Club has also gone plastic bag free for their meat raffles as of July 1.

Boomerang Bags is hoping the Golf Club and the hotel will follow suit.

More Boomerang Bags volunteers are always welcome

The next sewing bee for the group is being held in the Dolphin Room of the Tea Gardens Hotel on Saturday morning 14 July.

By Margie TIERNEY