Statewide reusable-bag campaign kicks off in Los Angeles

Non-profit, government and business groups joined togetherlast week to kick off the "Got Your Bags?" campaign -- a publiceducation and outreach effort aimed at encouraging Californians to use reusablebags for shopping and bring plastic bags back to the store for recycling.

Californiastate law (AB 2449) requires grocery stores and pharmacies with more than10,000 square feet of retail space to provide bins for the collection andrecycling of plastic shopping bags. Yet research shows that consumer awarenessremains low, and shoppers often forget to bring their bags back to the store.The same holds true for reusable bags.

"Our goal with this campaign is to give consumers thatextra reminder so they translate good intentions into action," saidChristine Flowers-Ewing, Executive Director of Keep California Beautiful."We all play an important role as individuals by using reusable bags andincreasing the recycling of plastic bags and wraps. California's residents need to get themessage that they can recycle all types of clean plastic film, such as drycleaning bags, newspaper bags, and wraps covering paper towels, drinks or otherretail items. "

In Los Angeles,the "Got Your Bags?" campaign is working to bring together acoalition of partners that will help spread the important environmentalmessages in a number of creative ways. For example, 68 Albertsons stores in theLos Angeles area are featuring "Got Your Bags?" reminders in the formof decals on their front doors, buttons for employees and select stores areplacing stencils at store entrances.

"We encourage our customers to recycle their plastic bagsin our stores," said Rick Crandall, Albertsons director of environmentalstewardship. "Our plastic recycling bins provide a convenient place todrop off and recycle plastic bags when you shop at Albertsons stores. The 'GotYour Bags?' campaign is a great extra push to reinforce and remind us all thatreducing, reusing and recycling is very important."

"Choosing a reusable bag over a one-way paper orplastic bag is a simple choice we can each make that benefits theenvironment," said Margo Reid Brown, chair of the California IntegratedWaste Management Board. "We are pleased to partner with Keep CaliforniaBeautiful and others on 'Got Your Bags?' It's the call to action we need toremind us to bring our reusable bags with us while shopping."

The American Chemistry Council, which includes theProgressive Bag Affiliates - a group of leading manufacturers and recyclers ofplastic bags and plastic resins in the United States - also are participatingin the effort. "We are delighted to work with Keep California Beautiful tohelp promote access to convenient recycling for Los Angeles residents," said SherriMcCarthy, Manager, Western Region State Affairs with the American ChemistryCouncil. "Plastic bags are too valuable to waste and should be recycled.I'm pleased to provide plastic bag holders to Albertsons' customers so shopperswill have an easy way to collect and store plastic bags for recycling. Recycledplastic bags and wraps can be made into durable backyard decks, home buildingproducts, shopping carts, and of course, new bags."

During the event, Flowers-Ewing also recognized the newest"Got Your Bags?" partner, Sherwin-Williams. Sherwin-Williams hascommitted to provide discount pricing - available nationally - for use inapplying "Got Your Bags?" stencils to the store entryway. The stencilserves as a dual reminder to have your reusable bags when you enter the groceryand to bring your plastic bags back to the store to be recycled.

"Sherwin-Williams is proud to support organizations andprograms, like Keep California Beautiful and its "Got Your Bags?"campaign that improves the quality of life in communities," said JoshBagshaw, Los Angeles District Sales Manager with Sherwin-Williams. "Thegrassroots efforts to use stencils to remind us all what we can do to payattention to plastic bag recycling and use, is a program perfectly aligned withour company's environmental social responsibility efforts."

The "Got Your Bags?" campaign originated as agrassroots effort with the Mariposa County Public Works Department (MCPWD) andthe Mariposa County Unified School District, whoworked together on a pilot stenciling project in local supermarket parkinglots. MCPWD staff created the "Got Your Bags?" slogan and logostencil design. The stencil painting was then incorporated into a lesson planon recycling for summer school students.

SOURCE: Sherwin-Williams