... So what next? and what about the other 20% of the shops and all the other plastic packaging with which we are
bombarded on a daily basis? Well after a well earned rest until January the Group intends to continue our mission to get Crediton 100% plastic bag free, although it may take some time to persuade some of the remaining stores!
We will also start looking at other aspects of plastic packaging and the whole issue of reduce.. reuse.. recycle
to see how best we can help Crediton reduce the amount of waste that is sent to land ll as far as is possible. Could we become the country's rst zero waste community? Food for thought!! Watch this space.

You may have heard in the news recently that Gordon Brown has added potential legislation about plastic bags to the Climate Change Bill. This is great news and we really believe that the war on plastic carriers is fast being won!

Over 60 shops in Crediton have now either stopped using plastic carriers or agreed to stop using them when we go Plastic Bag Free in the Autumn and many more are in the pipeline.

Even the supermarkets are being co-operative and we will be having displays at Somerfields this month and encouraging shoppers to use Bags For Life or eco friendly bags rather than single use carriers. Thanks to Mid Devon Council we also have 500 re-usable bags to give away to shoppers who are showing committment to changing their habits.

Encouraged by CCA, a committee of influential town traders has now agreed that we should aim to go pb free in Crediton by mid October 2008. As a result Barny Butterfield, the town centre manager, is now approaching all the remaining town traders individually to gain their support. We have also secured the funding for the first batch of 'Crediton Bags' with which to launch 'Plastic Bag Free Crediton in the autumn. ' Thanks very much to the Crediton Gazette, Town Council and Chamber of Commerce who have all pledged funding which will be sufficient to purchase over 1,000 jute bags.

Thanks also to the Nancy Dowling and the other people who carried out the Plastic Litter Collection recently which got some good press coverage for our cause. Worst item discovered - dog poo tied in plastic bags and left in the hedgerows!! - As an aside here if you have a dog you might like to know that the Green House sells compostable dog poo bags!!

Members of our working group have been on the phones surveying how many plastic carriers are currently being used in Crediton each month. Figures in the next issue when they have been collated. However THE GOOD NEWS is that all the shops we have asked for numbers say that plastic carrier use has declined DRAMATICALLY in the last six months, so we are having a fantastic effect already folks. Please keep up the good work and thanks for your support.

The plastic bag campaign continues to hot up. The Chamber of Commerce have agreed to go for a Sept/Oct launch of PLASTIC BAG FREE CREDITON and Barny Butterfield, the Town Centre Manager, is currently approaching all the retail businesses in town to join. Already Four Seasons, Olivers, Stevie B's, Adams, Crediton Food Fayre, AE Lee, Philips, £1 shop, Trawlers Catch, Naphat, Treloars, Spinnakers,Tuckers and Eakers are on board, at least in principle, so please give these businesses your support.

We are also designing a Crediton Jute Bag to accompany the launch which will be sponsored by the Crediton Gazette and Town Council. We are currently approaching other sources of funding for the bag and if you know of any organisation that may like to help by donating some cash please contact me ASAP.

How Can YOU Help???????????. 

WE ARE NOW AT A CRITICAL STAGE WITH REGARD TO THE RETAILERS.  IT IS VITAL THAT THEY SEE LOTS OF PEOPLE IN CREDITON CAN COPE WITHOUT PLASTIC CARRIER BAGS. SO PLEASE MAKE A POINT OF TAKING YOUR REUSABLE BAGS WHEN YOU SHOP AND REFUSING PLASTIC ONES QUITE POINTEDLY. ALSO SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS TO DO THE SAME.

Thankyou.  We will keep you informed of progress regularly.

Following considerable press publicity last month we are noticing a real change in the High St and at Somerfields. Many more people are carrying and using reusable bags. But we still need to keep up the pressure, so don't forget to always take your bags shopping with you and always explain politely why you are refusing plastic carriers in the shops including the supermarkets and Boots.

At the recent showing of Message in the Waves at the Congregational Church it was clear that people are interested and committed to this cause and also to cutting down on plastic packaging in general in and around our town. If you would like to borrow the film to show to your family or community group please contact me. There is no charge.

Paula, Mim and Anne had a very productive meeting with Chris Nicholl from the Chamber of Commerce and about 12 of the town's retailers last week. It was clear that a significant number of prominent retailers in the town support the town giving up plastic bags and they have formed a committee to organise this with the intention of Crediton BEING PLASTIC BAG FREE BY SEPTEMBER!!

This is major progress and the CCA plastic bag group will be working with the retailers to assist in whatever way we can. As you see shops begin to display notices to the effect that they no longer give out free plastic bags please support them and tell your friends and neighbours the good news.

We also plan to keep up the publicity campaign, organise a plastic litter pick up day, talk to the supermarkets and chains about their role and work with the schools.

Watch this space for more information!!

You may have seen pictures and write ups on members of the Plastic Bag group cavorting in the High St in some very strange plastic clothing recently to advertise Message in the Waves on March 26th! The press picked up on this in a big way as it came just after the Chancellor announced that the Govt would 'force' legislation on plastic bags in 2009 if there was no voluntary action by the major supermarkets. The Daily Mail had also just begun their 'banish the bag' campaign. As a result we now have major promises form the Express & Echo newspaper group that includes the Crediton Gazette to support the campaign over the next few months. The Town Council have also agreed to offer some funding towards a Crediton bag and to support our campaign.

As a consequence of all the publicity we have invited the town's retailers to our showing of Message in the Waves on March 26th and will meet with them shortly afterwards to see where we go from here.

So things are moving along but we still need your help. Refuse plastic bags in the High St and supermarkets and explain why to the person serving you, and please turn up to Message in the Waves so we have a HUGE crowd to show the retailers how strongly we feel. Thank you.

The Plastic Bag Action Group is going strong and progress is being made. We now have a comprehensive data base of all the businesses in Crediton with a good idea of who uses plastic bags and of what type. We have visited Modbury to find out how their plastic bag free lifestyle is going (very well!!) and talked with Bovey Tracey who went plastic bag free in Dec 07. We have also collected almost 500 names on our document to ask the traders in Crediton to 'ban the bag' and given out leaflets about plastic bags and free cloth bags in the High Street on 3 Saturdays since December.