“What is the Eco Bags Competition and how do I enter?”

Croydon Council and Fashion Enter have combined forces with a helping hand from Topshop, Green Guardian, The Whitgift Centre and Centrale to tackle the unnecessarily extensive plastic bag consumption within our benevolent borough but we can’t do it alone…. We need YOU!

We are looking for your creative talents to design a simple image to inspire and feature within Croydon’s Eco Expo event later this year. The search is on, and with Mother Nature on our side in a competition open to all, we’re confident you can help us make a difference. The time has come to stand up and acknowledge the damage the human race has caused over centuries and now here is your chance to begin the revolution.

Under 12’s

12 to 18’s

Over 18’s

How do I Enter?

If you think you have what it takes to tackle this global issue, all you have to do is design a simple stylish image to encourage the use of reusable bags within the borough onto an A4 sheet of paper.

Entries must be submitted by Friday 3^rd October 2008 at 5pm, please ensure you provide your name, address, phone number and date of birth as entries without this information will not be considered.

Applications can be sent by email, post or hand to or:

Enter Boutique, Unit 2 Centrale Shopping Centre

21 North End, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 1TY

(Opposite Zavvi, next to Clintons)

What do I Win?

The creators of each design qualifying to the next stage of the Topshop judging session will be invited to the private launch of the Eco Expo event commencing on Friday 17^th October at 1600 hours. The overall winner and two runners up will each be presented with an incredible goody bag worth a whopping £250 and the winning design will feature in Croydon’s Eco Expo fashion show later this year!!!

Keep it simple! Your design must be unique and inspirational, have fun and remember this is your opportunity to start change. As the stakes hot up this summer, the competition follows so remember to make yours count!

The poll will close on the 9^th October 2008 at 4pm.

The short listed designs will then be submitted to Topshop who have generously offered to provide a judging panel of industry experts to select a winner and runner up from each age category.

The average individual uses 167 non bio-degradable plastic carrier bags every year amounting to an astounding 13 billion plastic bags across the UK, most of which are used just the once before disposal. This unique initiative could potentially reduce this frightening figure by a staggering 5.1million aiding the GLA’s 25% reduction target by 2008.