Although they’ve been in Lunenburg since 2017, Boomerang Bags continue to be in high demand throughout town.
Greg Crossman, coordinator for South Shore Boomerang Bags, said both customers and businesses are actively looking to find alternatives to single-use plastics.
“More and more people want them,” said Crossman, adding that the bags are available in at least 30 businesses in Lunenburg.
Only about five businesses originally carried the bags.
Crossman said that the town has been ahead of the curve when it comes to reusing and reducing.
Boomerang Bags are made out of recycled materials and spread throughout town at no cost; people are then able to use the bags and return them on their next visit.
“Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, people locally are concerned about the environment,” explained Crossman.
He added that the size of town has made it easier to enable change, evidenced by various businesses adopting plastic free practices.
For his part, Michael Higgins, who owns the bookshop Lunenburg Bound, said he is happy to help reduce waste by carrying Boomerang Bags.
“I think it’s just a fun and fantastic thing that a group of people have been doing to move us away from single-use plastics,” he said.
His shop started carrying the bag for over two years.
Higgins explained that customers enjoy both avoiding plastic but also the novelty of a returnable bag.
“People are tickled,” said Higgins. “There’s a cultural shift afoot. We don’t have any more plastic bags to hand out.”
Christina Pottie, community engagement coordinator for South Shore Public Libraries, said branches in Lunenburg and Bridgewater recently started carrying the bags.
When asked about the switch, Pottie said the library wanted to do their part in preserving the environment for future generations.
“People are certainly using them,” she added.
In addition to carrying the bags, library staff and Crossman are currently trying to organize a sewing party at the library to help satiate the demand.
“We’re taking it a step further by actually facilitating the making of Boomerang Bags,” said Pottie.
South Shore Boomerang Bags is a chapter of the global organizing trying to reduce plastics pollution.
As per the international website, 860 communities around the globe have welcomed Boomerang Bags.
