Press Release
EOL IT Gives Plastic Bags The Sack
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One of the leaders in greening the IT industry is taking a major role in a campaign to consign plastic bags to history.
EOL IT Services, which is already the holder of several environmental awards, has joined other companies to invest in a project to change the habits of shoppers in its home town in Essex. The company – which recently changed its name from End-O-Line – is backing the “Maldon has Bags of Life” campaign.
The aim is to convert shoppers to environmentally-friendly jute and canvas shopping bags which are also produced in the Maldon area. EOL IT’s financial backing for the scheme should ensure that shopkeepers will have substantial numbers of bags produced from natural materials to hand out. The bags will cost just £2 and will have a long life and are much more environmentally friendly than plastic bags.
EOL IT Services Managing Director Richard Parker is spearheading his company’s involvement in the scheme. He said: “This is something I am passionate about as plastic bags are a blight on the world’s environment.
“EOL IT Services has been recognised as a company with strong green credentials. Last year we have celebrated a decade of the ethical disposal of redundant IT equipment and this will remain a mainstay of our business.
“I am very excited about the ‘Maldon has Bags of Life’ campaign and totally behind the idea of getting rid of plastic bags. With this scheme we have stolen a march on many other areas including London. 33 London councils have only just voted for legislation to tackle this problem; we have a corporately-backed scheme with a number of investors already under way.”
Mr Parker’s company has won several business environmental awards including 2006 and 2007 Business in the Community Big Tick awards in the eco-efficiency category.
The jute and canvas bags are manufactured by PortaBrands, which invented, developed and produces a large range of sustainable people-friendly packaging from its premises at Mundon in Essex.
PortaBrands co-Founder Ian Bates said: “The average person takes home four bags a week, which for a town like Maldon equates to 236,000 bags in a single week. The pollution and waste of plastic bags and other non-recyclable plastic packaging is an important issue we all face and if we are to have any chance of tackling this challenge effectively, we need to try and work together to find sustainable alternative solutions.”
EOL IT, under its original branding of End-O-Line Services made its name in the IT asset disposal and data security sector. Following a recent change of direction the company now offers services right across the IT equipment spectrum.