On 1 May 2007, Modbury in Devon became the first town in the British Isles to stop issuing plastic shopping bags when goods are purchased. Every trader joined together in this venture, and since 1 May not a single plastic shopping bag has been available in the entire town of Modbury. Shoppers have been encouraged to bring their own shopping bags, or alternatively to buy a reusable and environmentally friendly carrier bag offered in many of the shops.

The campaign in Modbury to banish the plastic bag was a community project championed by Rebecca Hosking, who grew up in the town. Rebecca and her boyfriend Tim are both BBC wildlife film makers and their impetus for banning plastic bags came from their time in Hawaii making 'Message in the Waves' - a film about the environmental toll being paid by this chain of tiny islands.

Now a Brighton resident, Chloë Hanks, has decided to set up a campaign for Brighton to follow in Modbury's footsteps. Chloë is picking up the mantle to drastically reduce plastic bag usage in Brighton and Hove. Chloë is hoping for lots of community support. The campaign website, www.plasticbagfreebrighton.co.uk [1], is:

• A resource for traders, with details of suppliers who provide plastic bag alternatives
• An information resource for shoppers
• A showcase for traders - those who opt in will feature on a page devoted to links to their websites

www.plasticbagfreebrighton.co.uk [2] also features posters that you can download and print to help publicise the campaign.

Why are plastic bags an issue?

• A person uses a plastic carrier bag on average for only 12 minutes.
• A plastic bag can take between 500 to 1000 years to break down in the environment.
• Plastic bag litter is lethal in the marine environment, killing at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles every year. After an animal is killed by plastic bags, its body decomposes and the plastic is released back into the environment, where it can kill again.
• In the UK at least 200 million plastic bags are discarded every year - potentially ending up on our beaches, streets and parks
• Contrary to popular belief, plastic shopping bags aren't FREE. They are a cost to retailers, to our environment and to us... and we could do without them, as there are many other sustainable alternatives to use instead.
• 47% of windborne litter escaping from landfills is plastic - much of it plastic bags.
• Plastic bags do not biodegrade, they photodegrade, breaking down into smaller and smaller bits, contaminating soil, waterways and oceans, and entering the food chain when ingested by animals.

For further information see: www.plasticbagfreebrighton.co.uk [3]