Carolyn Newton is the founder and Chief Whale of Whalebags. In Easter 2007, whilst on school holidays, Carolyn, a teacher from Bristol became so fed up with plastic bags breaking and digging into her hands as she struggled to get into her top floor flat that she decided to do something about it. After researching the reusable bag market, Carolyn was disappointed with what was on offer. She was also horrified to learn just how devastating the impact of plastic bags is on the environment. The damage caused to the ocean and marine wildlife struck a particular cord, as Carolyn has always been passionate about the sea. It was time to act! She borrowed a friend’s sewing machine and began designing her own bag.

Carolyn made a foldable rucksack which she began using. People commented on how clever it was as it folded up small enough to fit into a handbag. When an impressed shopper asked Carolyn where she got the bag, she suddenly saw real business potential. She decided enthusiastically that everyone needed one! Whalebags was born.

Carolyn knew that it would be difficult to get people to change their behaviour unless it was easy and convenient for them to do so. With this in mind she improved her original design so that the bag stuffed into a small pocket which was easily transportable. The first Whalebag was a rucksack, called the Humpback. It was and still is a unique product; an ideal way to carry shopping especially for people who cycle and use public transport. After talking to friends it became clear that not everyone would use a rucksack so Carolyn designed the second Whalebag, the Blue Whale shoulder bag.

With little business experience Carolyn sought advice from BRAVE, a not-for-profit business advisory service in Bristol. She found a manufacturer and had the first bags produced in China. Diligently, she visited the factory to ensure that the highest standards were being met. In the months that followed Carolyn sold to a few independent retailers in Bristol, Stroud and London. In April 08 she held a ‘Plastic Bag Amnesty Day’ in Bristol to raise awareness. Thousands of plastic bags were collected for recycling and hundreds of signatures were obtained from the people of Bristol who pledged to reduce the number of plastic bags they use. Two months later in June 08 Carolyn won the ‘UWE Biz Idea’ business plan competition. She moved into an incubator office in the centre of Bristol (part of her prize) and now receives valuable business support from a number of advisors.

Carolyn has been working hard to build relationships with some of the big retailers and has been developing the new range of Whalebags in order to compete in a rapidly growing market. The new designs are more fashionable and memorable appealing to a mainstream market with a specific focus on young professionals who live busy, sociable lives. As consumer awareness about plastic bags continues to increase so does the demand for alternatives. This is extremely positive for Whalebags and an exciting future lies ahead.

What started out as a personal quest to help the environment and improve her own shopping experience has now become an exciting business.