Plastic bag use - 1,000 names can't be wrong

Manchester City Council is launching a campaign urging 1,000 Chorlton residents to ditch plastic carrier bags.

Environmental officers are asking shops in Chorlton to take part in the council's 1,000 Names campaign by keeping copies of a petition next to their counters.

Shops taking part in the campaign will agree to ask customers whether they want a plastic bag, rather then

Those customers who say they don't want a bag will then be asked to put their names to a form in which they pledge to stop using plastic bags.

The council is hoping to collect 1,000 names by the middle of May, and will reward Chorlton with environmental improvements such as installing hanging baskets or planting new trees if this goal is achieved. The area's residents will be consulted on what improvements they want to see.

Councillor Eddy Newman, Executive Member for Neighbourhood Management who is launching the event tomorrow, said: "The city council believes we need to act now to cut down on the use of plastic bags, and this campaign will show that Manchester residents are behind us. We have no doubt that 1,000 people in Chorlton will sign this petition."

The initiative is part of the council's 100 Days campaign and is running alongside a competition for people in Chorlton to produce designs to be printed onto eco-friendly jute carrier bags.

Any budding designers should send their ideas to MCC Campaigns Team, Third Floor, Pink Bank Lane, Manchester, M12 5QN or send them in a jpeg file to campaigns.team@manchester.gov.uk. Manchester City Council launched Challenge Manchester - 100 Days to a cleaner, greener city 2008 on February 14 at Manchester Town Hall.

The campaign will run until 24 May 2008, featuring 100 days of intense activity all over Manchester with the first 50 days focussing on green issues - primarily waste minimisation, recycling and climate change - and the next 50 days focussing on community clean-ups, local environmental improvements and planting schemes.

The council will also be asking residents and businesses about what they want the council to do to help them minimise waste and recycle more.

Challenge Manchester began in 2004 with "Challenge Manchester: 100 Days to a Clean City", and in its fifth successful year the campaign returns to its core aim to "clean up" the city.

More information about Challenge Manchester and how you can participate appears on our website http://www.challengemanchester.co.uk/index.asp can also e-mail campaigns.team@manchester.gov.uk or telephone 0161 954 9000.

Media contact:

Conrad Astley, tel: 0161 234 4027