A team of young people are working to encourage customers to choose environmentally-friendly produce bags in the supermarket by creating a new design.
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Ballarat Grammar students Lauren Bodman, Lucy Quinlan, Lizzy Day and Sophie Lambourn developed an idea to use a corn based bag with inserts of vegetable, flower and herb seeds.
They are working with a local supermarket to offer the bags as a more sustainable option in store as a trial.
We want to be able to help the future generation and try to reduce our carbon footprint and the amount of plastic we use.
- Lizzy Day, Ballarat Grammar student
Lizzy said there was too much single use plastic in the world.
"We want to be able to help the future generation and try to reduce our carbon footprint and the amount of plastic we use," she said.
The team won the inaugural Alfredton Rotary environment challenge for their idea and $400 in prize money helped the team order bags for the trial.
They worked together to make seed inserts for the bags, with lettuce, Californian poppies, cherry tomato and parsley seeds included in the first round.
The idea of the seeds is to promote gardening.
"We care about this project because we want to make a difference," Lauren said.
"There is so much unneeded plastic in our supermarket and our environment and we want to share our product to help save our planet."
"We are all really passionate about the environment," Lucy said.
"We are hoping it will help the community of Ballarat reduce plastic usage."
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The students developed their idea as part of the Crazy Ideas College program run at their school.
The program encourages students to identify an issue that is important to them and come up with ideas for possible solutions.
Sophie said the program gave the team a chance to see how far they could take their idea.
"We have loved collaborating and creating products," she said.
"We have had meetings with sponsors and partners and it is always exciting to know our idea can go somewhere.
"It shows even young people can make a difference in the world that we live in."
Lizzy said the project had given them leadership experience, improve communication and expanded their minds to the possibilities.
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Rochelle Kirkham
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
