SOME 25 volunteers put the needle to the metal in the first Boomerang Bag sewing bee at the Giraween Sports Centre on Monday (30 November).
Event organiser Desire Gralton said the group effort went “extremely well” with 12 completed bags handed over to Noosa Council community engagement manager Debra Bambrook in the afternoon.
“There was a job for everyone – while some stamped the pockets with the Boomerang Bags logo, others were on hand to iron the pockets and handles to make it easier to sew, pin the handles and pockets to the ready-cut bags and then sew it all together,” she said.
“Through an excellent team effort we managed to complete the first 12 bags that are destined for Noosa Council offices in Tewantin, and were able to cut hundreds of bags and handles ready to be transformed into Boomerang Bags.”
The Boomerang Bags will first be used by Noosa Council, but once more are made they will be used in local shops to help reduce single-use plastic bags.
Ms Bambrook said the Boomerang Bag initiative was a “terrific grass-roots solution” for anyone who might forget to bring their reusable bags to the supermarket.
“Supermarket shopping bags are not recyclable and are a major environmental problem,” she said.
“They do not break down in landfill and pose a major threat to marine life and to the ecosystem. We want people to stop using them. The Community Jury has good reason to list banning plastic bags and council supports the Boomerang Bags initiative.”
Desire said she would love to thank all the volunteers who dropped by throughout the day to help with the sewing.
“I hope through the process new friendships were formed and that we all learned a bit more about the role we can play in reducing plastic pollution,” she said.
To help support the program, the Sunshine Linus Incorporated group donated beautiful handmade bags that will be stamped with the Boomerang Bag logo and sold at the special screening of Bag It to be held at The J on Thursday 10 December, from 6.30pm, with all funds raised going back into the project.
Regular sewing bees will be held from after the school holidays, but anyone interested in ready-made sewing packs to complete at home can contact Desire on 0427 596 478.
