Saving the planet one sewing bee at a time

Protecting the planet from plastic is easy for a group of women from the Moreton Bay hinterland, who sew environmentally friendly tote bags and other reusable household products.

Since forming in 2017, volunteers from Dayboro Boomerang Bags have made more than 6500 reusable shopping bags from donated and recycled materials including bed sheets, pillow cases, curtains and T-shirts, diverting an estimated 2200kg of fabric waste from landfill.

The group is part of a global movement aimed at shifting people’s throw-away mentality, with Boomerang Bags operating in more than 1100 communities worldwide.

Having started the Dayboro group as a way to meet more like-minded people, co-ordinator Kylie Harries says everyone is proud to be playing a part in protecting the environment.

“Starting with one pair of scissors, a bag of scrap fabric, and pure grit and determination, the group has now grown to be a fantastic force for change both in Dayboro and the surrounding areas,” Kylie says.

“Fabric is donated by the local community or picked up cheaply from op shops, which are groaning under the weight of fabric waste, particularly from the fast fashion industry.

“The fabric is sorted, cleaned, cut, ironed, pinned, and then sewn by our volunteers, meaning each ‘Sewn with love in Dayboro’ bag has potentially been through the hands of five or six volunteers from beginning to end.

“The bags are sold through the local pharmacy and are hot ticket items with visitors.

“The bags are sold at a modest price, enabling us to be self-financed so we can purchase consumables, pay rent, and have the sewing machines serviced regularly.”

Some proceeds from bag sales are reinvested in the local community, with Dayboro Boomerang Bags being one of the sponsors of the Dayboro Show.

The group also supports Dayboro RSL’s wellbeing program, sponsors Dayboro Community Kindy with their ‘Care for our World’ environmental project, donates fabric and money to local wildlife carers and the RSPCA, helps early learning centres purchase books for their libraries, and donates bags to other groups for fundraising activities.

The group has also made reusable sanitary items for girls and young women in Uganda to help combat period poverty, and have been commissioned to make conference bags for businesses and charities looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

With no signs of slowing down, Kylie says the group is always open to new members.

“Our volunteers come from all walks of life and backgrounds, so we welcome everyone who is interested in joining.”

Members meet on the first and third Monday of the month at the Dayboro Showgrounds pavilion from 9am-noon.

For more information about the Dayboro group, visit the website.

To see more photos, click through the gallery below.

About the organisation 

Boomerang Bags is a global grassroots movement aimed at connecting and empowering local communities to tackle plastic pollution at its source.

It was founded on the Gold Coast in 2013 by Tania Potts and Jordyn de Boer, as a reaction to the plastic waste they saw polluting the beaches and waterways.

The initiative spread and is now in more than 1100 communities worldwide, with hundreds of thousands of plastic bags being saved from landfill.

To find out more about the organisation, your nearest group, or how to start your own, visit the Boomerang Bags website.