3225 bags sewn for 3225: volunteers take on plastic waste

A volunteer group helping reduce plastic waste has stitched its way to a milestone that pays tribute to the Borough of Queenscliffe postcode, sewing its 3225th reusable shopping bag.

Members of Boomerang Bags 3225 gathered for morning tea on Friday to mark the achievement, which they estimate has helped prevent about 240,000 plastic bags from being used and diverted more than 700kg of material from landfill.

Boomerang Bags began on the New South Wales coast as a grassroots effort to reduce single-use plastic bags and has since grown into a global movement.

The Queenscliff group is one of more than 1,100 community groups worldwide that have collectively sewn more than 500,000 reusable bags.

Distributed free through the Queenscliff and St Leonards IGA stores, the bags are handmade from recycled fabric donated by the community.

“We get a thrill every time we see someone with a Boomerang Bag in the borough,” Queenscliff group coordinator Jane Rodwell said.

The volunteers meet each Friday morning to sew the bags and said the milestone reflected the community’s commitment to reducing waste.

“Boomerang Bags has allowed our community to take the lead on reducing waste and pollution,” Rodwell said.

“I think our group’s success demonstrates that our community is ready and willing to go the extra mile to cut back on waste and ultimately protect our environment.”

With Port Phillip Bay just beyond the windows of the Queenscliffe Neighbourhood House, where the group meets each week, volunteers said they are regularly reminded of the importance of keeping plastic out of the marine environment.

The project has also become a way of giving new life to old materials.

One volunteer donated her mother’s bedsheets after she moved into assisted living, with the fabric now continuing its story through the reusable bags.

Each bag features a screen-printed label produced by the volunteers, while the group also contributes to a range of community projects, including bunting for the Queenscliff Music Festival and bags for preschool students to take their work home in.

“I’m grateful for all the work these regular volunteers have put in for the greater good of the environment,” Rodwell said.