By Luke Voogt
A Lara group’s sleeping mats woven from plastic bags are protecting marine wildlife while keeping the homeless warm this winter .
“It makes me feel good,” said Bags to Mats weaver Cynthia Roseburgh.
Cynthia’s group has made dozens of the mats with a loom from Lara and District Men’s Shed.
The group will lend mats for locals to test-drive at a Vinnies CEO Sleepout in Kardinia Park next Thursday.
“They’re quite comfortable and they’re thick enough to put them on really cold concrete,” Cythia said.
“And if it gets wet you can just shake it out.”
Plastic bags kill one million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals a year, according to Australian Marine Conservation Society.
“Obviously, after a while (the beds) start to fray and break down but at least before they get to landfill they can get some use out of them,” Cynthia said.
Lara Lions Club supports the project and has collected hygiene products and food for the homeless for the past two years.
“I have no idea what it would like to be homeless,” Cythia said.
“But I’d think I’d like to have shampoo, a tooth brush and be as warm as possible.”
Cynthia was unconcerned about Woolworth’s and Coles’ plastic-bag bans
“There’ll still be a lot of bags around,” she said.
“In the end, if there are no bags we’ll find some other project.”
