The leaders of Los Angeles County have proclaimed Thursday, December 20, 2007, as A Day Without a Bag throughout the County, in an effort to encourage shoppers to go without disposable bags in favor of reusable bags.
The motion, introduced by Supervisors Don Knabe and Zev Yaroslavsky, was unanimously approved today by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has recently reported that approximately 6 billion plastic carryout bags are consumed in the County each year. This is equivalent to 600 plastic bags per person per year. The prevalence of these bags has significantly contributed to the litter problem and environmental degradation throughout the County.
On December 20, 2007, Heal the Bay is sponsoring A Day Without a Bag to help promote behavioral change. This is a great opportunity for the County to help raise environmental awareness, as well as prevent plastic bag litter.
The use of reusable bags decreases litter, conserves natural resources, reduces the amount of waste disposed in landfills, keeps our communities clean, and protects the marine environment.