Vernon sisters inspiring others to reduce plastic waste through T-shirt bags

Oct 4, 2019 | 8:00 AM

With a single-use plastics ban looming, two young Vernon girls are getting ahead of the game to reduce plastic bags in the city.

Sisters Sarah and Sophie have constructed T-shirt bags made out of recycled T-shirts from the Georgette Thrift Shop on 28th Avenue.

“We have always been a bit earth conscious and do what we can. The trigger for us was the whale that died with 88 pounds of plastic found in its stomach,” the girls’ grandmother, Ria Hakker, said. “The more we know, the more we need to do something. This is a simple step anyone can do and we are all pretty excited about it.”

The two sisters are selling the bags by donation at the Georgette Shop.

“Every year we save a large amount of waste from entering our landfills,” store manager Art Harrigan said. “We are really happy to partner with Sarah and Sophie to reduce the use of plastic in our community.”

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The Georgette Shop accepts donations of quality clothing to sell at affordable prices, with proceeds used to fund programs and services at CMHA. Unsaleable items find new homes rather than end up in the landfill. Cottons are cut into rags and sold to local businesses, while jeans and other suitable materials are cut into pieces for volunteers to make into quilts for sale.

The Georgette Shop was established in 1966 in memory of Georgette Andres, a founder of the CMHA Vernon branch. Donations of gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing are gratefully accepted. The shop is run by volunteers six days a week. They donated 12,750 hours of their time to the store last year.

The Georgette Shop is open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

by Tiffany Goodwein

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