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Environment

'Day Without A Bag' Goes Regional in San Diego

Michael Wonsidler, a recyling specialist with San Diego County, dresses up as the Bag Monster to present "Day Without A Bag" to San Diego's County Board of Supervisors.
Alison St John
Michael Wonsidler, a recyling specialist with San Diego County, dresses up as the Bag Monster to present "Day Without A Bag" to San Diego's County Board of Supervisors.

A campaign to cut down on plastic grocery bags will focus on changing consumer habits, not banning the offending bags. Four San Diego Cities have held " “Day Without a Bag” events in the past, but this Thursday, for the first time, the campaign is going regional in San Diego.

A new element of the campaign is a ticket giveaway to people who are "caught in the act" of using their recyclable shopping bag.

Jacy Bolden, regional coordinator for “A Day Without a Bag,” says thousands of recyclable bags will be given away at hundreds of stores all over the county, but the next step for consumers is remembering to use them!

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“A lot of people will say, 'I’m going to go get a free bag,’ Bolden says. “But there are so many people that are using reusables that forget them in the car.”

Statewide legislation to ban single use plastic grocery bags failed earlier this year, and the city of San Diego backed off its efforts to ban the bags when it was threatened with a law suit.

So Bolden says the campaign is going grassroots, and focusing on the power of consumers to make the change.

Several chains, including Target, 99 Cents Only and Stater Brothers, have pledged to give out reusable bags at all of their outlets, as long as supplies last. Many other stores will give incentives to customers who remember to actually use their reusable shopping bag.