Come join the Future Centre Trust as we introduce our supporters to the beauty and history of
Blackmans Gully on Saturday May 22 at 8am. Here is the google Map reference:
View Blackmans Gully, St Joseph in a larger map

Thanks to Kammie Holder, we have Professor Sean Carrington on board to lead the walk through the
gully enlightening our knowledge of the area and the importance of the gully systems of Barbados.

Meeting point is the Grantley Adams Memorial School, St Joseph for 7.30am.

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The Future Centre Trust was invited to exhibit at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation STC 11 held
between May 10 and 12 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

After an introduction by Kammie Holder to Mr Hugh Foster, of the Ministry of Tourism, we were
put in contact with Gail Henry of the CTO to arrange our booth space. The investment in time
and funds proved to be worthwhile with many good contacts made, particularly in relation to
the Green Business Programme and we were able to share our programmes and plans with
regional like minded organisations and tourism related businesses.

We were also able to be part of two of the remaining workshop sessions to hear Dr Murray
Simpson of the CaribSave Partnership and Mr Andy Dumain of the Shrinking Footprint who both
spoke about the need for reference to the physical environment and its benefits to a
growing market of more aware travellers who wish to reduce their footprint.

Andy Dumain spoke of his belief that “the green revolution will dwarf the technology revolution”
and that the “growth rate of ‘green’ is exponential – we need to consider the
growth rates of this industry”.

While Dr Simpson highlighted that the work on Climate Change is fragmented, particularly in the
region. CaribSave “looks to draw all of these resources together” with an aim to increase knowledge
of the impacts to the general population. Dr Simpson also highlighted that “Tourism is the lifeblood
of Community livelihoods in the region”. He also stated a need to re-establish Mangroves…. Maybe
we in Barbados could consider this moving forward…

Thanks to the CTO and to the Ministry of Tourism for their invitation to participate in this event.

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Thanks to the fantastic efforts of some 70 volunteers who chose to help out with No Plastic Bag Day,
we assisted in selling some 8000 bags on Saturday May 8, 2010!!!  THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!!

Karen Alleyne, Marketing and Merchandising Manager of Super Centre Ltd had this to say about
our collective efforts – “The efforts of the Future Centre Trust greatly assisted with the
promotion of the event, and I suggest that a continual education programme be introduced
to maintain the momentum and ensure that environmental awareness remain on top of mind of
our consumers”. Super Centre locations sold approximately 4000 bags on the day in their five
locations. A One Supermarkets, or Emerald City and Carlton Black Rock sold approximately
1000 each and Trimart made their way through close to 1000 bag sales in their locations.
Coffee Bean bought bags for sale at their locations as did Best of Barbados for their stores.

The Nation News included the following coverage No Plastic Bag Day by the Nation News.

All in all it was a great success!!

Now the trick is – how do we get these 8000 odd bags coming back to the supermarkets to
be used IN PLACE OF plastic bags???!!  How do we get people to remember to bring them
out of the house, or get them from the car??? Signage is one thing we have identified, along
with consistent reminders throughout the supermarkets. Hopefully some on screen and on
radio public service announcements also. Any novel ideas can be emailed to us at
info@futurecentretrust.org.

THANK YOU AGAIN VOLUNTEERS!!!  WHAT A GREAT EFFORT!!  Collectively we can continue
to raise the profile of the need to use our reusable bags in place of so many plastic bags.

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After a solid three weeks of finalising the campaign for No Plastic Bag Day, the day has arrived! Saturday May 8 will go down in history as No Plastic Bag Day in Barbados – the first time a nationwide campaign of reduction of plastic bag use has been launched in Barbados with the support of 12 major supermarkets from the big three supermarket chains.

Thanks to our volunteers in each of the locations, our organisers including Lani Edghill, Kammie Holder, Barney Gibbs, Nicole Garofano and other committee and board members, we have a day that has been in the news, on the radio, on your phone – thanks to LIME and the message is clear -SAY NO TO PLASTIC BAGS!!

Sites included in the coverage today are all Supercentre stores, All Trimart stores and Carlton and Emerald City A1 Supermarkets, along with all Coffee Bean Locations, All Best of Barbados locations, and the Hallmark Store at Sheraton Mall.

Volunteers will be completing market research forms to update the information received in the last reusable shopping bag programme the FCT completed with the support of Supercentre. This along with general information of why we need to reduce plastic and use reusables will be available in store. Click here for the Reasons to Reuse information.

Thank you to all the volunteers for the day and to those who are assisting in the coverage of the event including Starcom Network, CBC TV, SLAM FM, Barbados Advocate and The Nation.

Looking forward to reporting back on the success!

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On Wednesday May 5, the FCT became one of the recipients of a Ministerial Grant under the Ministry of Environment’s ‘Fund of Non-Profit Organisations’  for the further development and implementation of the Green Business Programme!

This is a great contribution and show of support by the Ministry of Environment for a programme which addresses many of the focal areas listed in the grant call for submission in October 2009.

These funds will be put towards the further development of the standards by which companies will be measured, investigations of a certifying body for the programme moving forward and the development of required documentation for distribution to the engaged companies.

We thank the Ministry for their vision and support of such a beneficial programme and we look forward to sharing the successes as more organisations – both private and public – sign up for their individualised greening programmes.

Media Release is listed here: MEDIA RELEASE GBB Ministry support

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Say NO to Plastic Bags and join in with No Plastic Bag Day on Saturday
May 8 at fifteen locations across the island.

This is a first for Major Supermarket Retailers, Super Centre, Trimart and Carlton A1/Emerald
City as they have joined forces to provide a non branded Reusable Shopping Bag for sale to the
Barbadian Consumer.

No Plastic Bag Day to be held for the first time on Saturday May 8, provides our supporters
with an opportunity to volunteer an hour or three of their time to help create awareness to
the public.

Download this pdf file NPBD Group Sign Up Sheet – print what you need or email us if you are able to help out. Please email if you are an individual or a small group, this form can be used for larger groupings. By emailing directly you are made aware of the conditions on this form.

The locations available are:

Super Centre

• Oistins
• Big B
• JB’s
• Warrens
• Sunset Crest

Carlton A1 Supermarket
Black Rock, St Michael

Emerald City
Six Roads St Philip

TriMart

• St Martins, St Philip
• Rendezvous
• Haggatt Hall
• Bridge Road
• Mile and a Quarter, St Peter

Shifts we are using are 10am – 1pm and 4pm – 7pm. You can give an hour and a half or three hours. Volunteers will be asked to contribute $10 for the No Plastic Bags for Me T shirt – the ‘uniform’ of the day (Thanks to Gildan Activewear for supplying the shirts – just need to print them!) – and will be asked to ‘roam’ the Supermarkets to encourage shoppers to buy Reusable Shopping Bags and explain the benefits of and also how to use them ie the idea is if you walk out of the supermarket every 2 weeks with maybe 6 bags (maybe doubled up – which in fact makes 12) then you replace maybe 4 of those bags with reusable bags so you still have 2 (or 4) to use for your garbage bags!

We recognise that bags are a part of our society, but do we really need to accept so many of them? Reduce the use of the plastic bag is the first step! Come out and help out!!

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