What is it all about?

Are you interested in giving out fewer free plastic carriers, encouraging shoppers to bring their own bags, and switching to providing alternative bags for your customers?

Penistone Carry-A-Baggers are a group of local people aiming to reduce plastic bag use in Penistone and district. We'll be encouraging everyone to take their own bags when out shopping, and also helping interested retailers reduce the number of carriers that they use.

We would love to have your support in making Penistone a greener and less wasteful place to live and work. We have tried to get round all the shops, but if we have missed you, please contact us.

Featuring Penistone Shops...

Barnsley Hospice Shop

We are really pleased that the Barnsley Hospice Shops have chosen this time to run their own plastic bag campaign. They have brought out a range of lovely-coloured fabric bags which they will be encouraging shoppers to use instead of plastic bags. They are also no longer giving out new plastic bags, instead giving out re-used supermarket carriers.

The Barnsley Hospice Shop are also very supportive of Penistone Carry-A-Bag and have agreed to supply us with some of the fabric needed for making Penistone bags. Thank-you!

To see your shop featured here, email us and tell us what your plans are for reducing plastic bags.

A big thank you...

..to all of you who took time to speak to members of the Penistone Carry-A-Bag team during January and February. The response from shops and businesses in Penistone, and from stall-holders at Penistone Farmers’ market has been overwhelmingly positive: most of those we visited are keen to support a reduction in the use of plastic bags, and many of you have already taken steps to give out fewer carriers.

Switching to alternatives

As the campaign name suggests, we'll be spending a lot of time persuading shoppers to 'Carry-A-Bag'. But inevitably you will still need to provide bags for some shoppers.

Many of you reuse supermarket carriers, but for those who buy carriers and would like to move away from plastic, we're currently researching what's available. Coming soon here is information about different carrier bags.

Shop Local Guide

We have written a booklet 'Shop Local and Reduce Plastic Bags' which will be distributed to every household in the Penistone area along with a cloth bag provided by the Co-op before Launch Day (12th July).

In the guide is information about what each shop sells and how they are getting involved in Penistone Carry-A-Bag.

Public Meeting

Look here for information about what happened at the public meeting. You will soon be getting a launch day pack containing a counter top card and stickers if you requested them, as well as launch day information.

Pledge your support

Whether you are a shopper or a trader, we would love to have your support in making Penistone a greener and less wasteful place to live and work. Please fill in our form and tell us what you will try to do.