BOTH SPAR shops in Looe will stop providing shoppers with free plastic bags from May 12. In an bid to cut usage, Pauline Tamlin, owner of the shops at West Looe and the Barbican, will charge customers 5p per plastic bag. To highlight the environmental nature of this initiative, proceeds from the sale of the bags will be donated to the Friends of Kilminorth Woods, a small environmental group based in Looe. This non- profit-making community-based group is dedicated to the care and conservation of the woodland environment in Cornwall's largest local nature reserve. Pauline said: 'The negative impact of plastic bags on the environment is well-established and we support the campaign to reduce their use drastically. At the same time, I would like to support a local environmental charity.' Derek Spooner, of the Friends of Kilminorth Woods, said: 'We welcome this initiative in Looe. The consumption of plastic bags wastes valuable non- renewable resources, and the litter arising from them defaces the countryside and is lethal to wildlife. 'We will, of course, be grateful to receive the proceeds from the sale of bags in the short-term, but we will be even more delighted if the revenue dries up, as this will indicate that the campaign is succeeding.'
