It has been a frantic time, trying to tie-up all the loose ends regarding the funding for the bags, the choice and design of the bags and, at the same time, collate the findings of our survey of the Banchory shops.

 At virtually every shop we were met with great enthusiasm from staff members.  Of the 70 shops surveyed only three are against the scheme.  Thirty-four are fully supportive.  Eleven are supportive but would like time to source alternatives, and the remaining sixteen either need instructions from Management at Head Office, or need time to consider the matter further. 

 This is very encouraging. 

Thirty eight of the shops are prepared to put up posters.  Others support the campaign but have a company policy of not displaying posters.

Sixteen of the shops could/or would not tell us how many plastic carrier bags they gave away each week [and some of those must give away a lot of bags] but, when I totalled up the numbers the other shops had given us, it came out to nearly 65,000 pw - which comes to OVER THREE MILLION a year in a small community of approximately 6,500.  That is THREE TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE!

 However, ALL the shops said they had noticed a massive difference in the last few months, with more and more customers bringing their own bags with them.  WELL DONE BANCHORY SHOPPERS.