Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast Tweed Branch is tackling the issue of plastic pollution in Burleigh Heads one plastic bag at a time through the implementation of a bag share initiative called Boomerang Bags. The initiative involves the installation of bag-share, or Boomerang Bag Boxes throughout a target business district. Each box is stocked with re-useable Boomerang Bags for customers to borrow if they have forgotten their own and return on subsequent visits. The availability of free, re-useable bags reduces the need for single-use plastic bags, and the encouragement to ‘Borrow and Bring Back’ works to foster the sustainable mentality of re-use, thereby reducing plastic bag consumption in the long term.
Each Boomerang Bag is hand-made by volunteers from the local community using donated second- hand materials, keeping the initiative local and sustainable. Burleigh Heads is the first area to effectively implement the initiative which piloted in 2014. Through regular Boomerang Bag sewing bees, the initiative has engaged over 400 volunteers, 5 schools and numerous other community groups in making re-useable Boomerang Bags from recycled materials. The availability of free, re-useable Boomerang Bags in the shopping area of Burleigh Heads is working to reduce customers reliance on plastic bags and foster the sustainable mentality of re-use. For more information about Boomerang Bags and how to get involved, click here.