To: The people of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Support "Bring A Bag" Shopping Campaign
“Bring A Bag” Shopping Campaign, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Statement of Need for the Project:
The need for the project can best be exemplified by viewing The Majestic Plastic Bay: A Mocumentary video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLgh9h2ePYw , and by this recent article from the VI Daily News which localizes the problem in our area. "WHALE DEATH OFF P.R. BLAMED ON PLASTIC BAGS
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The need is further reinforced by estimates that stores on St. John, collectively distribute approximately 500,000 (HALF A MILLION!!) plastic bags annually into the waste stream and environment of St. John and the Virgin Islands!!
“Bring A Bag Shopping” Campaign Goal and Objectives:
Goal:
To organize and implement a grass roots movement to drastically reduce the use of disposable plastic shopping bags on the island of St. John, thus greatly reducing the number of plastic bags entering into the waste stream and environment of St. John and the Virgin Islands.
Objectives:
• Promote the development of a widespread grassroots cultural movement to encourage residents and visitors to remember to bring and use reusable bags when shopping on St. John. This objective can be accomplished through partnerships with local business, community organizations, villa management companies/real estate agents, rental car companies, hotels, guest houses, camps, private villas, and other establishments. Local media, word of mouth and peer group pressure would also be used to accomplish the goal.
• Encourage the development and implementation of greater environmental awareness, recycling initiatives and a more sustainable lifestyle on St. John.
• Encourage the Virgin Islands Legislature to facilitate the enactment of legislation to ban the use of disposable plastic bags in the VI, to follow the lead of American Samoa.
Why is this important?
Stores, Shops, Consumers and Community Minded Groups on St. John, Virgin Islands are comming together to help eliminate the more than 500,000 disposable plastic shopping bags that are discharged into the environment and waste stream of St. John, annually.
#1. Shopper Pledge: We the undersigned shoppers and consumers pledge to remember to bring a reusable shopping bag with us into the store to eliminate the need to use a disposable plastic bag.
#2. Store Pledge: We the undersigned Stores on St. John agree
to support and encourage our customers to remember to "Bring A Bag" and, once our supplies are depleted, to stop giving away disposable plastic shopping bags.
#3: Community Groups: We the undersigned community and environmental groups agree to support and encourage our members to participate in the St. John "Bring A Bag" Campaign