Bag ladies

Len Tingle Political Editor BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

You can read some of your comments on the programme here...

Hebden Bridge: Green and pleasant land?

Hebden Bridge, in West Yorkshire, has become the largest town in Europe to stop using conventional plastic shopping bags. Will others follow where they lead..?

Local shoppers have taken a step back to the 50's and 60's and take their groceries home in a reusable cotton bag or buy a compostable "biobag".

So are there lessons here for the rest of the UK?

Mandy Paramor is a self-proclaimed "bag lady".

She is one of a handful of friends who persuaded the 4,500 people who live in her home town of Hebden Bridge to stop shops giving away free plastic shopping bags.

Once you get into the routine you never think about using a plastic bag again Mandy Paramor

"It is such a simple idea" says Mandy as the Politics Show cameras caught up with her outside the local Coop supermarket.

"If I had been offered a plastic bag at the checkout five months ago I would not have given it a second thought but now I would not even dream of taking one.

"It is a voluntary agreement but everybody is taking it on board.

"You see people staggering down the road with their arms full of shopping rather than taking a bag from the odd shop that is still using up its old stock.

"Once you get into the routine you never think about using a plastic bag again."

Ideal location

It takes one stroll down the streets to see that there could not be a more ideal place than this picturesque former mill town to launch a scheme to roll back the excesses of the consumer society.

Hebden Bridge has long been associated with the arts and alternative lifestyle.

Its cobbled streets are full of small shops offering locally made produce or goods guaranteed to come from ethical sources.

Hessian shopping bags replace plastic

All plastic recycled

It claims to be the only place in Britain where any form of discarded plastic will be recycled.

In the town's own alternative technology centre "Plastic Pete" runs a "Recycling Club" which now has over 500 members.

Using a combination a heavy duty shredder, large electric pizza ovens and an industrial press empty bottles, bags and packaging is turned into slabs of plastic which can then be used by industry.

Grand plans

His team of volunteers and government work experience trainees deal with over 12 tons a week. He has plans to build that up to 500 tons a week.

The Politics Show on Sunday 30 September will bring together Politics, activists and experts to debate whether the Hebden Bridge approach can be copied elsewhere.

Or is it only possible in this sort of community?

Join the Politics Show on Sunday 30 September at the special time of 13:35 BST... on BBC One - this later time is due to the outside broadcast of the Great North Run...

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