When a West Yorkshire milltown launched a carrier bag boycott, it gave mums Hanny Wadsworth and Claire Eastwell an enterprising idea.

Being busy mums, the women were used to multi-tasking, so launching their environmentally-friendly shopping bag with a difference fitted in with the throng of their busy lives.

“Needs must and our office often resembles a nursery with discarded dolls and pieces of puzzles more than a business empire – but our motto, ‘keep calm and carry on’ hangs proudly on the wall to remind us that we wouldn’t want it any other way,” they say.

FootprintBags are packs of multiple shopping bags – the packs of eight are geared towards supermarket family shopping and the four-pack is a compact and stylish pack of four re-usable shopping bags. They are great for mums on the go who need to pick up some bits and pieces along the way. Both styles of bag can easily hook onto a pushchair or trolley and there is also a trolley coin attached.

Hanny and Claire have thought of everything and although they have had their products professionally tried and tested they use them extensively themselves with other mums in mind.

“We wanted something you can take shopping, a re-usable bag because we are both eco-minded but we wanted something we wouldn’t leave at home, something you could pop in your handbag so you’ve got everything in one compact pouch, something practical and convenient and a bit stylish,” says Hanny, who uses the eight-pack for her family shop. “I’ve been using mine for three years and it’s going really well.”

The bags are made from a non-woven biodegradable fabric incorporating parachute material making them strong and sturdy. “I’ve weighed mine down with lots of tins and they are independently tested as well but the proof is in the pudding – we use them ourselves,” says Claire.

Their idea to create a funky and eco-friendly bag followed a discussion the two friends had about the environmentally-conscious community of Hebden Bridge going plastic-bag-free.

“We talked about re-usable bags and what we were using,” says Claire.

Adds Hanny: “We were talking about how many you have to have in your car boot to cope with the weekly family shop.”

The pair, who met while taking their sons swimming, came to live in Holmfirth from other areas. Their eco-conscious attitude constituted the decision to launch their own enterprise and combine their talents.

Hanny, who worked in TV and radio production for a large advertising company, used her art background to design the product and the website.

Air stewardess Claire, who trained as a journalist and worked as a primary teacher, writes the promotional material. “It works well with Hanny because she is good at design and I write the copy for the website. We complement each other,” she says.

The women initially retailed through their Footprintbag website but have since secured a contract with Lakeland, the kitchen store, and they are also hoping to get their products on to supermarket shelves. They are also busy developing their range and are currently working on a nappy bag.

“I think people really want to do something. People are eco-minded and it’s just having something that is convenient and you don’t forget to take with you. I think people don’t want to take a carrier bag but they forget to take a bag,” says Claire.

“A lot of people want to do their bit for the environment but they add to their collection of re-usable bags which they keep at home.”

“But this isn’t just a UK problem, it’s a worldwide problem is the bag situation,” adds Hanny.

Hanny moved to Holmfirth from her native Germany. Her husband, former professional footballer Ian Wadsworth, is from Huddersfield. They met while he was playing in Germany.

“People from Spain tell us we should go over there. We’ve had a woman from Australia asking if we can get in touch with their companies. Our supporters are very supportive,” she says.

“We get lots of e-mails from people saying they love the product. It’s nice when people bother to e-mail you.”

And, like the product they are busy promoting, the pair are still going strong. “It would probably be hard to say they last a lifetime but we’d say they can,” says Hanny.

  • For more information visit footprintbag.com