Western Australian winners

Shire of Esperance, WA (Government Authority – State & National Award Winner)

The Esperance Bag Smart Programme was launched in 2003 and has seen a 75 per cent reduction in the use of plastic shopping bags within the community. Taking a multi-dimensional approach, incorporating public advocacy, community education, school and retail participation and volunteer support, the Shire of Esperance has moved from running plastic bag free days to regular plastic bag free weeks. Using radio, newspaper and TV advertising and editorial to reinforce the ‘Esperance is too Fantastic for Plastic motto the program demonstrates a strong commitment by the community to strive to become plastic bag free. Peak tourist months have been identified as a key period for retail and volunteer efforts to encourage visitors to also help make Esperance plastic bag free.

Dandaragan Primary (School - State Winner)

The ‘Think Smart, Act Smart, Bag Smart’ project involved 76 students from the school working in partnership with local businesses to reduce plastic bag use in Dandaragan. Plastic bag fact-sheets were compiled by students and distributed to parents and community members to educate them about the alternatives to plastic bags and the importance of this. Local media supported the initiative whilst the local Dandaragan store provided calico bags for students to decorate in class to encourage their use. A plastic bag free day was recently held at the store with great success, whilst the distribution of plastic bags has dropped dramatically and more plastic bag free days are planned.

Gascoyne Development Commission (Business - State Winner)

Protecting the coastal, marine and world heritage listed landscapes and geography is vital to Gascoyne, which sees up to 110,000 visitors to the region each year. The plastic bag free project was established to help preserve the region’s precious environment at a local level. Launched with a series of public forums conducted by Bag Smart, the project involved a number of key stakeholders who set up working parties to communicate the importance of reducing plastic bag use and encourage alternatives to be used amongst retailers and consumers. A collaborative approach, using existing local events to promote the message i.e.: regional fishing events, helped target specific and key audiences, whilst support is also being provided to local retailers to help their transition towards becoming plastic bag free. This is a good example of a business addressing community needs and working towards the end goal together.