Sophia Skarparis, a year 10 Monte Sant Angelo, North Sydney student is putting her faith into action by carrying out the mammoth task of gathering 10 000 signatures for a petition to ‘Ban the Bag’.  Heavy and single-use plastic bags are not banned in NSW, unlike in many other states, and though many supermarkets and other retailers will voluntary remove them from July 1 this year Miss Skarparis wants the NSW Parliament to discuss a state-wide ban to help curb the the ecological damage done by these products across their whole life-cycle form production to waste.

With the full support of her school she has engaged her local communities and other local high schools  including St Ignatius, Riverview, St Aloysius, Kirribilli and Wenona, North Sydney. She has so far got 7000 signatures and has met with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. No mean feat! However, NSW Parliament requires 10 000 signatures before the issue has to be brought to the floor. Further, Parliament requires the petitions to be handwritten.

So we are asking if you believe in this effort towards caring for Creation if you would be willing to support Miss Skarparis by signing the petition, perhaps even getting a few family and friends to sign as well? You don’t need to fill in the whole sheet, and every signature counts!!

You can find the hard copy here.You just need to print it, sign it, and be sure to include your address as it is invalid without it.  Then return it to the JPO by JUNE 13:

Attn: Dr Kim Doyle – Plastic Bag Petition

Justice & Peace Office, Lvl 12, Polding Centre

133 Liverpool St, Sydney 2000