The Armstrong Creek Boomerang Bags group is selling another 100 bags made from flags donated by the City.
Members of the community group have carefully stitched the nylon material into drawstring bags that sell for $2 each and are perfect for shopping, crafts like knitting, travel, laundry and sporting gear.
The bags, and those made from other materials, can be purchased from the group’s base at Armstrong Creek East Community Hub, as well as the Grovedale Neighbourhood House, South Barwon Community Centre, Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Torquay Community House.
Recently, the Armstrong Creek Boomerang Bags group reached the milestone of having made 4,300 bags from recycled materials since April 2019.
In April, members donated 100 flag bags and 90 general purpose bags to the Lazarus Community Centre.
The group, which is open to new members and accepts fabric donations, gets together every Wednesday 9am - 12pm at the Armstrong Creek East Community Hub to create bags. Walk-ins of all skill levels are welcome.
Members also run a free Stitch & Style DIY Bag Making Workshop at Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library on the first Wednesday of each month. Bookings are essential and material and equipment are provided.
Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM
It is great to see what the group is creating after receiving a 2021-22 Council grant for new sewing machines.
We donated our old flags to the group to ensure they’d receive a second life in another form.
Community members were really interested in the previous run of flag bags and loved having their own historic piece of Geelong, so I recommend getting in soon before they sell out again!
Councillor Elise Wilkinson
Textiles waste is a growing problem in Australia, with more than 300,000 tonnes of clothing being sent to landfill or exported from Australia.
Well done to the Armstrong Creek Boomerang Bags group for saving fabric from landfill and contributing to Greater Geelong’s circular economy.
The members are using clever and creative ways to reduce the community’s reliance on single-use plastic bags, learn new skills and connect with others.