A PROJECT run by the Southern Moreton Bay Islands Coast Care project is helping to ensure there is no bag shortage when the plastic bag ban comes into effect on July 1.
The group is running the SMBI Plastic Free project making cloth shopping bags at sewing bees and distributing them at market stalls.
They recently held print-making and sewing workshops on Russell Island.
Group co-ordinator Jeremy Staples said the event a huge success with a big mix of people attending.
Mr Staples said he started the group because he saw the detrimental impacts of single-use plastics, particularly plastic bags.
“Plastic bags end up looking like jellyfish in the ocean. Turtles consume so many they can't swim down below the surface and they starve,” he said.
Mr Staples said the plastic bag ban would make the issue worse because heavier duty plastic bags would be introduced.
“The Plastic Free SMBI group are working towards abolishing all single use plastics on the islands. We are situated within the Moreton Bay Marine Park after all,” he said.
The boomerang bags movement, started on the Gold Coast, makes it easier for shoppers to avoid plastic shopping bags. Cloth shopping bags, available from participating stores, can be taken home and returned later so that shoppers can avoid buying plastic bags.
The group holds sewing bees at Auntie Alice’s Cafe every second fortnight for volunteers to cut, sew, press and print labels on bags.
For more information, phone Jeremy Staples on 0404 805 269.
