Nowra Farmers Market is is set to ditch the plastic shopping bags this month.
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Starting from Saturday, January 27 single-use plastic bags will no longer be available at the registers.
Customers will instead have the option of a free recycled box, bringing their own bag or purchasing a reusable Nowra Farmers Market bag for $3.50.
The move is in support of the Greenpeace ‘Ban the Bag’ campaign that aims to reduce the four billion plastic bags used by Australians every year.
Business co-owner Jeffrey Coe said banning the bag was a logical choice for the business.
“Our business is feeding local families. We need to protect the environment to safeguard the future of Australian food production and ensure future generations can enjoy fresh, quality food,” Mr Coe said.
“At Nowra Farmers Market we pride ourselves on our social responsibility and positive environmental practices are an important part of that,” he said.
The store started phasing out plastic bags at the point of sale in August last year, charging 10 cents per plastic bag and offering sustainable alternatives.
“Our customers have known this change has been coming for several months now, and many of them have already made the switch away from single-use plastic bags, which is great,” Mr Coe said.
According to Greenpeace, more than 50 million single-use plastic bags end up in the environment each year, with a devastating effect on marine life, water systems and landscapes.
The environmental conservation organisation estimates that 30 per cent of the world’s turtles and 90 per cent of seabirds have now ingested plastic debris.