Heal the Bay Sends Valentine to Santa Monica Shoppers

Joins with EVO.com on bag giveaway at Farmers Market ahead of historic City Council vote

Santa Monica, CA (Monday, February 11, 2008) -- Heal the Bay is teaming with online environmental retailer EVO.com to make a Valentine's gift to our oceans by distributing free reusable shopping bags at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesday, Feb. 13. The noontime giveaway is intended to raise consumer awareness and provide support to the Santa Monica City Council, which is now mulling a far-reaching measure that would ban all retailers from distributing plastic bags citywide. In a bid to encourage shoppers to bring reusable totes, city staff also is encouraging the council to consider requiring store owners to charge shoppers a fee if they request a paper bag. The council is expected to consider the measure at its next meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 19.

The day of action and education is part of Heal the Bay's ongoing campaign to curb the use of one-use plastic bags, which clog landfills, litter our public spaces and threaten marine life. California taxpayers spend more than $25 million a year to collect and dispose of one-use plastic shopping bags.

“Teaming with Heal the Bay is a great way to get reusable bags in shoppers hands and get them thinking about the environmental consequences of their consumption habits,” said Dan Siegel, founder and CEO of Santa Monica-based EVO.com, whose mission is to accelerate a global green economy by connecting buyers and sellers of genuine green products and services. More than two dozen nations and metropolitan areas have enacted similar bans, including China, San Francisco and Paris. By focusing on both plastic and paper bags at any point of sale, the Santa Monica ordinance is the most comprehensive legislation to date nationally. The ban, if adopted, would also include the thicker, white plastic bags that are frequently handed out at local farmers markets.

While the city weighs mandatory restrictions, some Santa Monica retailers have voluntarily moved to remove plastic shopping bags from their stores. As part of a nationwide decision, the Whole Foods Market store on Wilshire Boulevard will cease providing plastic bags by May. Upscale retailer Fred Segal is now working with its boutique tenants to eliminate all plastic bags.

“With a precedent-setting measure before the City Council, Santa Monica is once again at the forefront of progressive and sustainable public policy,” said Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay. “We hope this giveaway can provide some momentum for decisive action.”

Note: Reusable bags will be distributed by EVO.com and Heal the Bay volunteers along Arizona Avenue until supplies last, starting at noon.