Ban the Bag program launches at Farmers’ Market

ALPENA -- When you head to the Alpena Farmers' Market on Saturday, you can pick up a new reusable bag to fill with fresh produce and handmade goods.

The bags, purchased partly with a grant from the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, are part of a Ban the Bag initiative. Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union helped fund the purchase of the bags, said J.B. Cook, president of the Friends of the Alpena Farmers' Market.

The program is intended to eliminate single-use plastics from the farmers' market, Cook explained.

"We would like to get rid of the use of single-use bags at the farmers' market," Cook said. "We hope that would spread to other businesses in town."

His ultimate goal would be to see single-use bags eliminated in Alpena.

"It's not going to happen over night," Cook said. "We purchased 2,500 of these bags. We are going to encourage all of our customers, eventually, and our vendors, to not use single-use bags, or at least limit them as much as possible."

A Community Impact grant through the CFNEM funded $1,011 of the bag purchase, while AAACU picked up the remaining balance of $3,714.

The reusable, durable plastic bags are available for a suggested donation of $2 to $5, Cook noted. The bags cost $2 each to make.

"They're reusable, washable bags," Cook said. "These bags are supposed to last 700 times longer than a single-use bag."

He said they are not made from recycled materials, since that option was not as durable.

"They would not have lasted half as long as these bags will last," he said.

The Alpena Farmers' Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday at Mich-e-ke-wis Park in Alpena.

"This is environmentally friendly," Cook noted. "We're trying to reduce the amount of bags used. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Reduce is on the top of that list."

The bags are available at the farmers' market and at AAACU.

"If people can't afford them, we will give them to them if they need them," Cook said. "We would ask for a donation, and that money will be used to purchase more of these bags in the future, so we can continue to have them at the farmers' market."

Cook added that anyone can sign up as a member of the farmers' market for a $10 membership fee. They will receive a reusable bag, and a button that enters them into a weekly giveaway for a gift basket full of vendor goodies from the farmers' market.

For more information, visit alpenafarmersmarket.com or Friends of the Alpena Farmers' Market on Facebook.