Good Shepherd Lutheran College Year 8 students are being both creative and proactive with the upcoming banning of plastic bags from 1 July – they are producing re-useable Boomerang Bags made from recycled fabric as a part of their Textiles Technology unit to be used at the College’s upcoming Shepherd’s Fair.
The Boomerang Bag concept is based on local communities getting together to create a sustainable alternative to plastic bags which can be passed on or returned to be used by someone else - over and over again.
Good Shepherd is proud to have joined over 500 communities worldwide who have decided to make a difference to their local environment by making bags and reusing fabric that might find its way to land fill and reducing the number of plastic bags in the environment.
Year 8 Students Harry Ellaway and Lexie Pringle making Boomerang Bags for the Shepherd’s Fair next term as a part of their Textiles Technology studies.
According to Mrs Sue Jansen, Head of Food and Textiles Technology at Good Shepherd, the inclusion of a sustainable option for plastic bags was a natural progression for her Year 8 students.
As the concept of sustainability is embedded in the curriculum I was looking for relevant and engaging ways of including the topic in our classroom.
“In Year 7, as a part of their Food Technology unit, students study food packaging and the impact on the environment and create, as a part of their studies, a litter free lunch box,” said Mrs Jansen.
We learn about the impact of plastic bags and explore if they have a place in our preferred future.
“While making the Boomerang Bags students also learn how to use a sewing machine and overlocker to make re-useable bags from donated sheets, tablecloths and fabrics.”
“The students are happy to sew and gift the bags they make and you can see the pride they feel when they write their name on the swing tag attached to the bag.”
Another exciting spin-off is we are going to be holding weekly workshops after school where parents, grandparents, friends and family of all ages can come and work together to create the Boomerang Bags.
The inclusion of the Boomerang Bags into students’ learning about environmental sustainability, as well as utilising the practical skills of sewing, means that the Boomerang Bags will be here to stay at Good Shepherd.
“After the Shepherd’s Fair we will also be making the bags available at the College’s uniform shop and the library,” said Mrs Jansen.
“If people who take a bag want to return their bag, that is, “boomerang” the bag, they can return it to the Main Office, otherwise, we would encourage them to utilise the bag sewn by our College community to make a difference in the environment.”
