The borrow and bring back philosophy of Boomerang Bags has turned the traditional approach on its head.

The volunteers meet once a month to make reuseable bags out of donated material from curtains to clothes and fabric scraps.

The bags go to participating businesses for free where people pick them up, use them and return them when they are finished with the bags.

Boomerang Bags Port Macquarie coordinator Shannon Kelly said the group aimed to reduce plastic bag use and raise awareness about the environment.

“We’ve had a great response from business owners,” Mrs Kelly said.

“Unfortunately they [the bags] are not coming back as often as we’d like, but at the same time, they are being used within the community.”

The group has made more than 180 bags.

Boomerang Bags is committed to reducing reliance on plastic bags and encouraging re-use.

Some 3.92 billion plastic bags are used each year in Australia with 94 per cent ending up in landfill.

Fifty million enter waterways and oceans every year.

MacKillop College Year 7 and 8 students have contributed to the bag making and preschools have stamped the bags with the logo.

Hastings Secondary College Westport Campus LEAP Academy has helped too.

Boomerang Bags groups are dotted across Australia.

Email Shannon Kelly at shanq87@gmail.com or go Boomerang Bags Port Macquarie’s Facebook group to get involved.