Check out SolanaCenter.org for more info. And remember to bring your re-usable bags with you shopping on December 16th!

Here’s a great way to give a holiday gift to the environment!

Join residents and businesses throughout the San Diego Region in giving up disposable bags in favor of reusable bags for 24 hours, or more…

Day Without A Bag is an education and grassroots event being coordinated by nearly every city and the County of San Diego, with the support of leading environmental organizations, and involves businesses and individuals throughout their respective communities. On this day we ask holiday shoppers and retailers to forego single-use plastic and paper shopping bags in favor of reusable bags.

Held the third Thursday in December, Day Without A Bag – 2010 will be held December 16, 2010, when San Diego County shoppers will receive an early holiday present, courtesy of a giveaway of over 25,000 reusable bags at more than 70 Giveaway Locations throughout San Diego County. In addition, a Community & Media event will be held featuring education activities and a press conference.
Education & Awareness

A unique coalition of major retailers, local governments and regional environmental groups have come together to organize the inaugural San Diego Regional Day Without A Bag, which urges consumers to forego environmental harmful single-use plastic or paper grocery bags in favor of reusable shopping bags. By raising consumer awareness about personal choices, the event’s short-term goal is to educate shoppers throughout San Diego County to adopt more sustainable shopping habits during the holiday and coming year. The event’s long-term goal is to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags throughout the county by empowering shoppers, and local communities at large, to take simple and direct action to eliminate unsightly debris and save taxpayer dollars.

More than 1.7 billion plastic bags are used in the throughout the San Diego Region each year. That’s an average of 500 bags per person per year. Made from non-renewable fossil fuels, plastic bags are recyclable – however, studies show that less than 5% are actually recycled. Even when properly disposed, plastic bags are often blown out of trash cans or pulled out by birds and easily carried by the wind to become tangled in vegetation, clog storm drains, or make their way to waterways and the ocean where they become an even greater threat to marine life. As a coastal community with a vibrant and growing tourism base, much of which is tied to our local beaches and the ocean, it is in our best interest to consider measures to respect, preserve and protect those resources.
What YOU Can Do
A Day Without A Bag – December 16

Participate: Bring your own reusable bag when you shop at grocers and all other retail locations, especially on December 16th.

Acknowledge: If your favorite retailer promotes reusable bag use, take the time to thank them for their efforts. If you see friends and neighbors using their bags, tell ‘em “Thanks for remembering your bag!” – everyone can use positive feedback for remembering to use them.

Share: Look for retailers that have great reusable bags, give them as gifts