Show commitment with jute

A pair of enterprising Tauranga women are challenging Bay residents to go plastic free with the launch of their "eco shopping bags that love the planet".
Simply Jute New Zealand owners Melanie Salisbury and Sandra Garratt, both in their mid 40s, said their ethically-produced bags are natural, re-useable, long-lasting and biodegradable, and are the eco-friendly alternative to plastic, non-woven and paper bags.
"Simply Jute is just that, 100 per cent natural and nothing else. Jute is not just an alternative, it's the only biodegradable option," they said.
Jute, also known as hessian, is a natural vegetable fibre procured from the stem of the plant which is 100 per cent biodegradable and has many uses, including sacking, cloth, twin and rope and of course bags.
Mrs Salisbury said since establishing their business about a year ago they have approached a number of stores, and so far have support from New World supermarket. Three Tauranga branches in Gate Pa, Brookfield and Mount Maunganui have now stocked their bags.
"It's really exciting to see our bags finally on the shelves and we want to challenge Tauranga residents to help us make a difference to our environment," said Mrs Salisbury.
"Our bags are more than an accessory, more than a carrier, more than a statement. They're an example of our commitment to be environmentally aware, socially responsible and ethical to our planet and our people."
Mrs Salisbury said if the initiative proves a success, Tauranga will lead the country in its environmentally-friendly approach to reducing the use of plastic bags. They also plan to sponsor Keep New Zealand Beautiful initiatives.
"New Zealand is a beautiful country and we should be doing everything we can to keep it that way," they said. Mrs Salisbury and her business partner, both English-born, have seen first-hand the proven success of selling jute bags in United Kingdom and Europe, particularly at large chain stores such as Tesco and Sainsburys, and they use the same suppliers.
"We ensure that our suppliers adhere to the ethical trading initiative base code, including the rule that child labour is not used and living wages paid."
The pair, who already run successful businesses - Mrs Sainsbury, her home-based Frontier Travel agency and Mrs Garratt, as co-owner of Chatabox Design, said they take great pride in bringing top quality, eco-friendly, ethical bags to Tauranga.
But the Simply Jute range is not just limited to supermarket bags, but stylish leisure, souvenirs, promotional and wine bags which can be customised with a company's logo and a positive environmental message.