environment.  The change will be introduced gradually and in the interim shoppers will be supplied with re-usable bags as the move towards the use of sustainable bags gathers pace.

It has been calculated that each shopper in Spain uses 238 p[lastic bags per year and these bags can take 400 years to disintigrate.  Of the total, only around 10% is recycled and the sight of plastic carrier bags blowing about the streets in the breeze has become an unwelcome side effect of the modern retail trade.

The many employees connected to the Carrefour operation in Spain have received training to assist them in explaining the new initiative to the public, and to allow the message of recycling, sustainability, and bag reuse to be put forward.  Perhaps one day it will once again become the norm to take your shopping bag or even basket to the shops as in days before the ubiquitous plastic bag.

The supermarket chain Carrefour is to become the first outlet in Spain to eliminate the use of plastic carrier bags.  This initiative is in line with other countries, where the use of plastic carriers has been all but eliminated in the interests of the

tobacconists, petrol stations, newsagents and others.  The phone has a rechargeable battery which permits 4 hours of talk time and 240 hours on standby, and a SIM card which allows the choice of various tariffs.

Around 100,000 of these phones have been sold in France since the launch in August last year and no doubt Orange will be hoping for high sales in Spain.

The first ‘disposable’ mobile phone comes on the market in Spain in July having hit France last year.  The Bic Phone is marketed under the brand name of Bic which was the company that invented and distributed the first ballpoint pen, and Bic has become a household name over the years.The Bic Phone will cost 29€ and will be sold in various outlets including

The Councillor for Culture and Tourism, Pedro Alberto Cruz, along with the Mayor of Mazarrón, Francisco Blaya, have opened a new Centre of Interpretation for the Phoenician Boat, which counts amongst the exhibits a replica of the ‘Mazarrón 2’.  The display also has selected artefacts, documents and materials about the area, with the aim of educating visitors in both the sunken Phoenician boats located off the beach at La Playa, and Phoenician times in general.
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Fifth case of flu confirmed in the Region of Murcia

The samples taken from a relative of the other three confirmed cases of Flu A have shown positive results after analysis in the National Microbiology Centre .

A man, who did not travel to United States with the other three people affected within his family, has been found to test positive but none of them has suffered any serious effects from the disease.
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The mayoress of Cartagena has presented the materials and personnel which Proteccion Civil will have during the summer period to ensure the security of the bathers on the Cartagena coastline.

The mayoress, Pilar Barreiro, accompanied by the Councillor of Civic Safety, Javier Herrero, and the General Director of Security, Carlos Nieto, presented in the port of Cartagena the Proteccion Civil team who will operate within the Rescue and Safety Plan on the beaches this summer.

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Jesús Navarro, have presented two new
motorbikes which are destined for the Local Police in the municipality. Their purchase was made possible thanks to a grant of 13,920 euros by the Council For Public Administration. The bikes will be a welcome addition to the area’s small but effective police force, which has 28 officers in total.  The municipality has a patrol car and 10 officers in the Citizen’s Security Unit already. The acquisition of the bikes fits in with the plan for Security , put into operation in 2006, which aims to improve the safety of municipalities for the residents and to support the local police in ensuring a high quality service for people living in the Murcia region.

The Regional Government have implemented a new campaign which will run on television stations across the region this summer, aimed at getting householders to save water.

The campaign will demonstrate which are the “best practices” to implement with regards to being canny with water, educating us to make small changes which, when added up, will have a significant effect on water usage in Murcia.

“Little actions have a great impact” runs the theme, and local TV stations across Murcia will be instrumental in delivering the message as the weather gets warmer.  Communications Manager for the campaign, Miguel Ángel Pérez, says that “no-one knows the value of water more than the Murcianos”, and says that we all have to remember that every single drop counts.

The campaign will run with 5 different versions, giving advice as to how we can

save water in the home, garden, kitchen
and bathroom, and also offers advice on water management for those lucky enough to be cooling off in a swimming pool this summer.

With the slogan “Agua para todos”, many Murcianos are already well informed when it comes to saving water, and are well aware of the need to make every drop count, but the adverts will certainly help to drive the message home.  There are 70,000 families in the region who cannot survive without this most basic of needs.

The first advert will focus on savings in the home, emphasising the need to think before you use every drop of water, as savings can quickly add up.  The second advert will focus on the garden, looking at how irrigation systems, if managed properly, can also contribute to water management.

The TV campaign will also look at water saving measures in the kitchen and bathroom, such as the age old trick of placing a brick (or a more up-to-date bag of silica gel) in the cistern to ensure that every flush of the loo saves litres!

Pool owners will also be reminded that they can help manage and save water each year, and that the law prohibits the complete emptying of pools.  The ads will run until the end of July, closing the campaign with the message that we ALL can contribute to saving one of nature’s most precious resources.

Kart Helps Youngsters At The Road Safety Park

The Road Safety Park in San Javier has increased its resources with the addition of a new kart, according to an announcement from the Councillor for Safety, Manuel Leal. In addition to the 22 bikes already available, and the police officer who supports the

park, the kart offers a new dimension to the road safety training.  

Hundreds of youngsters pass through the park to get basic training in road safety and the rules of the road, although the courses are also popular with adults.

The kart, which operates on a re-chargeable battery, is very easy to drive, say the course organisers.  The vehicle has a speed regulator, ensuring that any budding Fernando Alonsos stick to the limits, and is used to teach kids road safety with respect to pedestrians, other road users and cyclists.

The Safety Council would like to increase the number of karts available for the next course, when the new Road Safety Park will open.  The Traffic Department have donated signs and other materials necessary to make the courses a resounding success, and sporting store Decathlon have already donated around a dozen bikes.

Drive carefully