Getting Out the Reusable Bags

On Sunday, October 19, the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation hosted a booth at the Escondido Street Faire. Our goal was to give out reusable shopping bags to those in the community less able to afford them, and encourage people to use them instead of plastic grocery bags. We were able to purchase the bags with a grant from SD County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price and a portion of a grant from UPS Mail Boxes Etc.

The booth was a huge success! As a condition to receiving a bag, we asked people to read and sign the Rise Above Plastics Pledge. We had over 1,000 pledges by the end of the day and gave out over 1,500 bags (families received up to 5 bags). We had the pledge in both English and Spanish, thanks to our volunteer Eileen Webb.

Jenn Sgobba, one of our RAP volunteers who happens to be an elementary school teacher, set up a table for kids to decorate their bags. It proved to be very popular! We are hoping that by making the bags their own, the kids will remind their parents to take their bags to the store. We also traded people for the plastic bags they were carrying filling more than 3 boxes with plastic that we will take in for recycling.

The bags were purchased from Enviro Tote and are made from recycled organic cotton, and are made in the U.S.A.


Elizabeth