It began with the community in Kew turning their backs on plastic bags but soon people across the borough will be asked to do the same.

When the Greener upon Thames project launches in early September thousands of shoppers across Richmond could find themselves being given a gentle nudge not to pick up plastic carrier bags at the checkout.

Last year Greener Kew, the brainchild of Michael Glazebrook, saw nearly all the shops in the town ban plastic bags in a bid to clean up the environment and reduce the number of whales, dolphins, seals, turtles and seabirds that are killed every year by waste plastic.

That figure is thought to be two million.

In 2009 Mr Glazebrook, along with Barnes resident Nicole Pound, will officially kick start the new campaign in every other town in the borough signed up to the pledge to try and establish a plastic bag free Richmond.

However, Mr Glazebrook said this time round, to get more shops and business owners involved, especially the more reluctant chain stores, they would not be expected to scrap plastic bags completely.

“The pledge is not to ban plastic bags but to do everything they can to dissuade people from using them,” he continued.

“They might hide them behind the counter, ask every customer if they really actually need one and have material in the shops reminding people of the campaign.

“The pressure will be on the customer to really think if they need a plastic bag.”

Community groups, town centre managers, residents and businesses have already shown their support for the plan and schools have also been targeted because “children are the best drivers of these things”.

“To spread it across the whole borough would be a marvellous thing,” he said.

“It’s a very exciting campaign, there’s been so much enthusiasm from everyone.

“It’s very much showing a good community spirit.”

Mr Glazebrook explained about eight or nine borough towns are already on board but Greener upon Thames needs more volunteers to help spread the word and encourage change.

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