Our natural jute ‘bags for life’ have been extremely popular with shoppers throughout the UK. Now we want every mum and dad in the country to set an example by doing the same. What’s more, with your school’s message on the bag, we hope that other schools will take notice and soon follow.

It’s simple to raise hundreds of pounds for your school. Plus, get a local sponsor on board and the bags won’t cost the school a penny! For further information please contact us on 0845 838 4656 or email education@jutebag.co.uk. Together we can start making a difference today.

• Echo editor Marc Astley, along with Mike Trim, from Exeter City Council and Richard Lawrence, from EDF Energy, popped along to Ladysmith Junior School in Exeter yesterday with a special delivery - 400 green book bags, one for every child.As part of the Echo's award-winning Green Shoppers campaign, which aims to reduce plastic carrier bag use, we asked city primary school pupils to come up with the design for a book bag, a variation on our popular reusable green shopping bags.
  
  We received hundreds of entries, a short list was drawn up, readers voted and the eventual winner was seven-year-old Sadie Horler, from Ladysmith.
  
  That meant not just a green book bag for Sadie but others containing wlater-powered calculators for all her fellow pupils as well.
  
  Sadie was delighted when she saw her design on the finished book bag and said: "It looks just like I thought it would."
  
  Mum Carol said: "We're very proud of her. She spent a lot of time on her design."
  
  In addition, each classroom received staple-free staplers and the staffroom got a Tefal kettle which boils in just three seconds, courtesy of EDF Energy, while the city council gave the school a wormery.
  
  A number of the bags are also to be delivered to each primary school in the city over the coming weeks.
  
  Mr Astley told the pupils they were leading the way in the country and that using book bags instead of plastic bags would help the environment.
  
  Mr Lawrence, EDF Energy's director of business, performance and quality, in Exeter, said: "My School Bag is another fantastic development in a campaign which EDF Energy is delighted to be involved with.
  
  "Not only did the competition inspire youngsters to think carefully about green issues, the bags themselves act as a daily reminder about the importance of reusing and recycling.
  
  "As well as the bags, we've given every youngster at the school a water-powered calculator, staple-free staplers for every class and a low energy Quick Cup kettle for the staff, further practical reminders about how we must all do more to reduce our impact on the environment."
  
  Mr Trim, the city council's head of cleansing services, said: "Sadie's design is absolutely fantastic and the excellent thing is that all 25 infant and junior schools in Exeter will receive a number of the bags, perhaps to use as prizes. Hopefully we will soon see these bags all over the city."