Saturday 25th March was a nation-wide campaign day to point out the abuse of our environment by companies over-packaging goods.

The Northern Branch of 'Friends Of The Earth' staged a protest in Newcastle. They were asked to leave some major stores for sticking small notices on some goods that said "Don't buy this article - it's over-packaged". The notes put on bottles said "Don't buy me - I'm unreturnable". They also distributed leaflets about over-packaging pointing out:

a) the added expense to shoppers of packaging

b) the added amount to rates to cover refuse disposal costs

c) the effect on the environment by increaseddemands for refuse tips, trees to make more paper and mineral quarries

The demonstrators then went to J.Storey's Ltd., a soft drinks manufacturer in Gosforth to protest against the use of non-returnable bottles. Right on!

Don