A young artist from Bendigo has had her design emblazoned on a reusable bag that is now available for sale in the stores of a major supermarket chain across the country.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Brandi Li, 10, was one of just 14 primary and secondary school students from across Australia whose designs were chosen to decorate the reusable shopping bags sold by Coles when it stopped providing single-use plastic bags to customers on Sunday.
The Epsom Primary School student’s design is a mass of bright red strawberries, something she decided to do because the summer fruit is one of her of her favourites.
The intricate design, drawn in texta, took her six hours to complete.
“It made me feel really excited to think of everyone buying it, it made me feel really happy,” Brandi said of winning the design competition.
Brandi’s design was first created as part of competition the school held to shortlist its entrants to the nationwide competition.
Her art teacher, Gill Davey, said Brandi’s design attracted numerous votes from her fellow students.
Brandi won a $500 prize from Coles and Epsom Primary received $5000 to put towards a sustainability project.
Mrs Davey said the school wanted to create a bush tucker garden, expanding on the native plants already planted in its grounds, and a worm farm.
For Brandi’s mother Jess Li, one of the most exciting aspects of Brandi’s bag is that its sale will support the food relief organisation SecondBite.
She said the family had been passionate about another similar initiative, Food Not Bombs, when it operated in Bendigo.
“To know that’s the partner her bag is supporting is just a really great feeling,” she said.
Brandi thanked her mum and Mrs Davey for their contribution.
“I have an amazing art teacher,” she said.
“She is really, really good at what she does and she teaches us amazing things.
“And I have a really supportive mum.”
Bag change in more stores
Both Coles and department store giant Big W stopped providing single-use plastic bags to customers on Sunday.
At Coles, customers who do not bring their own bags can pay 15 cents for a reusable plastic bag, use a cardboard box, or purchase a sturdier shopping bag.
Until July 8, Big W will provide reusable plastic bags for free; after that date, they will cost 15 cents.
Woolworths is also providing free reusable plastic bags until July 8, following a backlash from customers when it rid its stores of single-use bags on June 20.
Speaking to the Bendigo Advertiser on Sunday morning, Coles Bendigo store manager John Barnes said the response from customers had been positive in the first few hours of the change.
He said the store had run an eight-week countdown to the change, with posters and staff members notifying customers.