Worcester Foodbank is hoping to pack a punch in the war on plastic waste by moving towards the use of eco-friendly paper bags for its food parcels.
The charity has launched a fund-raising campaign to support its efforts to phase out the use of plastic bags and replace them with a recyclable alternative to pack the thousands of food parcels it distributes every year.
It’s part of its commitment to help the city become carbon neutral and show that it cares for the environment just as much as the growing number of people food bank is helping to feed.
Grahame Lucas, Worcester Foodbank Manager, said: “We’re passionate about ending hunger but we also want to make sure we do that in a way that is kind to the environment too.”
“Moving towards the use of biodegradable paper bags is one way we can play a significant part in helping Worcester to become a leading green city that protects the environment as well as its people.”
Food bank needs to raise around £15,000 a year to fund a complete switch to the paper bags which are being sourced from a specialist supplier. The bags are not only biodegradable and recyclable but also strong and both tear and water-resistant too.
The charity currently relies on strong plastic bags or ‘Bags for Life’ to pack thousands of food parcels every year with demand for emergency food showing no sign of slowing.
More than 900 people were fed by foodbank during May – up 28 per cent on the same month last year – with volunteers handing out almost 10 tonnes of supplies.
There continues to be a marked rise in the number of families being referred to the charity with many still reeling from the impact of Covid-19.
Read more on how to support our eco-bag fund-raising campaign