The growing desire for alternatives to plastic bags has prompted an international packaging company based in Birmingham to team up with the campaigning group We Are What We Do.

Today the regional initiative of Plastic Ain't My Bag campaign was launched in front of Debenhams at the Merry Hill Shopping Centre. The thousands of people wanting to do last-minute shopping received a gentle reminder about how simple it is to make a difference.

Today is the first day that We Are What We Do will be launching its new £5 organic cotton shopping bag, produced in collaboration with Yardley-based manufacturer Europackaging. Shoppers and retailers are being encouraged to take positive steps to ditch the plastic and go for something that is more environmentally friendly.

Attila Balogh, chief executive officer at Europackaging, is proud of the team's refreshing approach to fulfil the needs of retailers and their customers and this latest work with the campaign group.

"We value coming up with business solutions," said Attila, who explained that the company, with about a 400-strong workforce in Birmingham, has more than 50 patents on its designs.

The latest product for We Are What We Do was inspired by the campaigners works with designer Anya Hindmarch, which on its launch day saw hundreds of people queuing for one of the bags.

Attila said: "It was a very successful campaign and we saw there was a way we could do something similar. We share similar values to We Are What We Do and we could see there were ways of working together."

The company, which has a turnover of £220 million, and is present in more than 20 countries, got the go-ahead to develop and produce the organic bags.

The company's product range already includes a variety of environmentally-friendly products. The hope is the launch in the West Midlands, with retailers encouraging shoppers to use alternatives to plastic bags, will catch on across the country.

The bag and the campaign are inspired by WAWWD's Action 1 - Decline Plastic Bags from Change the World for a Fiver.

Eugenie Harvey, co-founder of We Are What We Do who has spoken at Thrive forums in Birmingham, said: "We have been so inspired to see the shift in attitude towards shopping and bag use since our I'm Not a Plastic Bag launch in April.

"We think today is a great opportunity for retailers and shoppers to demonstrate that we really do care about the damage we are doing to the environment."

She added: "There is no doubt that the range of plastic bag-related initiatives, of which ours is just one, is making a significant impact on the issue of plastic bag usage. Our aim with Plastic Ain't My Bag is to have a window vinyl in every window in every shop in every high street in the country by Christmas, and for this to be the first Christmas that it is about as fashionable to carry plastic as it is to wear fur."

To find out more or to order your Plastic Ain't My Bag materials, visit www.wearewhatwedo.org.

More We Are What We Do actions here >