Cayman BECOME is a new campaign promoting the use of reusable shopping bags instead of plastic, encouraging members of the community to take their own reusable bags when they shop.
 
Starting on 9 June, the initiative kicks into high gear with the introduction of a five cent charge for plastic bags at the Island’s supermarkets.
 
The programme is the result of much hard work by the Corporate Green Team Network, whose members include Cayman Eco, Deloitte Cayman, the Department of Environment, the Department of Tourism, dms, Island Heritage, Island Supply, KPMG, LIME, Maples Finance, Ogier, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Rawlinson & Hunter.
 
“Sustainability is important for our community,” explains Department of Environment Sustainable Development Officer Sophie Halford.
 
“The campaign’s premise is: Let’s BECOME more aware of how our lifestyle affects the environment and BECOME eco-friendly, BECOME plastic-free, BECOME smarter consumers, and help Cayman BECOME green.”
 
The plan to eliminate bags came about as part of the Green Team Network’s efforts to tackle solid waste in Cayman. Estimates are that over 12 million plastic shopping bags are disposed of every year in Grand Cayman, negatively impacting marine resources and wildlife.
 
“This is why we encourage the community to bring their own bags when they shop, instead of using plastic,” says Sophie.
 
“Fosters Food Fair, Hurley's, and Kirk Supermarket are supporting our campaign by working with us to reduce this type of waste.”
 
The supermarket chains are in the process of replacing non-degradable plastic bags with biodegradable versions, and will be introducing a charge of five cents for these bags on 9 June.
 
Reusable bags will continue to be sold in-store.

A new kind of network
The Corporate Green Team Network aims to facilitate sharing and learning about experiences in putting in place environmentally responsible and sustainable practices in the workplace, to generate new ideas and to pool efforts in sharing these experiences with a wider audience.
 
Members are also committed to pursuing particular sustainability issues together outside of their “Green Team” internal groups, which they feel could make a difference encouraging environmental responsibility and sustainability in the community as a whole.

Raising awareness
Cayman BECOME officially launched in April, with supermarket cashiers started wearing campaign t-shirts on Wednesdays and Saturdays until the charge is introduced.
 
The official Cayman BECOME campaign reusable grocery bags will be in stores in time for the launch.
 
“We will be having a big promotion day at each store on 12 June, with X107.1 on location, and we will be giving out free bags,” says Sophie.
 
“With the money raised from our sponsorship drive we have been able to order 3,000 reusable bags to give away on June 12th once the charge is introduced.”
 
The bags produced by Green Benefits are made from 50% recycled plastic bottles and will be printed using soy-based inks.
 
“They come with a small pouch to store them in, so we hope this will help people remember to bring them, by being able to easily keep them to hand,” says Sophie.   WH

For more details on the Corporate Green Team Network, the Cayman BECOME campaign and what to expect visit caymanbecome.ky.