Dee and Chris Pieper, who own and manage Chirn Park News on the Gold Coast, QLD, are making their dream of a plastic bag free future a reality.

Their plastic bag and environmental policy is proudly displayed on their shop's front window and states that if a customer wants a plastic bag they will be charged 25 cents. And from 31 December 2005, they'll remove the option to purchase a plastic bag altogether.

Instead of plastic bags, Chirn Park News offers its customers reusable, unbranded bags suitable for newsagency products and available for purchase at a realistic price of $1.30.

"We have sourced a supply of bags at a very reasonable cost and have applied a small mark-up to these," explained Dee.

"All of the profits generated from the sale of these bags, and in the short term the plastic bags, are fed back into the local community for environmental projects. We are marketing this to our customers with fliers placed in all areas around the store and advising customers at the counter," Dee continued.