• How can I recycle?
  • at work (+)
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  • in the home
    • Reusable Bag for Life
    • Buy Recycled
    • Become a Recycling Champion in your area
    • Love Food, Hate Waste
    • Join a local Freecycle group
    • Donate your old furniture for reuse
    • Stop unwanted junk mail
    • Your guide to real nappies
    • What happens to Plastic Bottles?
    • Your local Household Waste Recycling Centre
    • Recycling Where I Live
    • Sizzling Summer recipe tips
    • Recycling your electrical and electronic items

Reusable Bag for Life

Each year in the UK More than 10 million plastic carrier bags are produced; if laid end-to-end, these would stretch to the moon and back five times!

In 2005 Cheshire County Council, working in partnership with the Cheshire District Councils, pioneered the launch of a special 'Cheshire' Bag for Life. The aim was to support Cheshire residents to reduce the number of plastic carrier bags they use by providing an attractive alternative.

Since the launch over 50,000 of these incredibly versatile bags are now in use in Cheshire. Around half of them were sold through Cheshire Libraries.

The 'Recycle for Cheshire' Bag for Life costs just £2 and is available from any Cheshire Library.

It has proved incredibly popular, achieving an almost iconic status and becoming a familiar site in our high streets.

By switching to a 'Bag for Life' the average person can prevent around 300 plastic bags ending up in landfill sites each year.

The bags are made from a Hessian Jute which is a natural product and have been designed to be both stylish and practical. They have a useful wide base which makes it easy to carry bulky items whether they be books, groceries, picnics, work or a gym kit. They can be used over and over again; they won't split apart with heavy loads and the handles are comfortable and won't dig into your hands.

We are pleased that many more supermarkets and local shops are now following in our footsteps by introducing their own versions of the Bag for Life so you have many to choose from. If remembering the bag for life is a problem for those spur of the moment shopping trips why not consider the 'Onya Bag' - a great multipurpose bag that stows into its own little key ring sized pouch. Onya bags are available from www.onyabags.co.uk.

Below are a few handy hints to help you remember to use your bags:

- take bags with you every time you go shopping;
- keep spare bags in your car or at work so you're never without;
- let the check-out staff know you've brought your own before they pack for you; some shops are now offering rewards if you reuse your own bags!