The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, recently received a $1,000 donation for its Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (S.T.A.R.) Center through The Cottage Shop’s annual "Skip the Bag" initiative.
Now in its seventh year, the program allows customers to forgo a paper shopping bag at checkout. For every bag a customer chooses not to take, The Cottage Shop donates 10 cents to the Aquarium’s S.T.A.R. Center, helping provide medical care and rehabilitation for sick and injured sea turtles with the goal of returning them to the wild.
The initiative was created to encourage environmental responsibility, reduce waste and give back to the local community. After the Outer Banks plastic bag ban took effect in 2009, The Cottage Shop transitioned to gift-ready paper bags. Even after the ban was repealed in 2017, the business chose to continue offering paper bags because they better reflected its commitment to environmental stewardship. The Skip the Bag program transformed a simple decision at checkout into an opportunity for customers to directly support local conservation efforts.
“Skip the Bag started as a way to reduce waste, but it has become so much more than that,” said a representative from The Cottage Shop. “Every customer who chooses to skip a bag is making a small decision that adds up to a meaningful impact for sea turtles and our coastal environment. This donation is truly made possible by our community.”
Through thousands of individual decisions to skip a shopping bag, The Cottage Shop has donated more than $10,000 to the Aquarium’s S.T.A.R. Center over the past seven years. The program demonstrates how small, everyday actions can create a meaningful impact for North Carolina’s coastal wildlife.
The Aquarium’s S.T.A.R. Center admits, rehabilitates and releases hundreds of sea turtles each year, providing specialized care for animals suffering from cold stunning, fishing-related injuries, boat strikes, illness and other conditions.
Community partnerships like The Cottage Shop’s Skip the Bag program help ensure sea turtles receive the care they need while demonstrating how thousands of small, everyday choices can make a lasting impact on sea turtle rehabilitation and the conservation of North Carolina’s coastal wildlife.
Celebrating 50 Years in 2026
The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, dedicated in 1976, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026.
About the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
Located on the Outer Banks in Manteo, N.C., the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island is part of N.C. Aquariums, which includes four attractions along North Carolina’s coast and is a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The 63,000 square-foot facility on 16 acres overlooks the Croatan Sound and houses over 2,200 animals. Over 315,000 guests visit the Aquarium each year to see the 285,000-gallon "Graveyard of the Atlantic" shark and ocean habitat, visit the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (S.T.A.R.) Center, and learn why North Carolina's waterways are so special. As an educational attraction, the mission of N.C. Aquariums is to inspire appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments. The Aquarium is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, visit www.ncaquariums.com/roanoke-island.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina — its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. At more than 100 sites across the state, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.