One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Reminder: Tomorrow is A Day Without a Disposable Bag
We told you about it a couple of weeks ago, but it definitely bears repeating: Thursday December 20th is the day to go disposable-bag free!
Los Angeles County residents use over 6 billions plastic bags every year, and yet, only 5% of those bags are recycled. The rest end up in landfills were it will take decades for them to decompose. Plastic bags also find their way into the ocean where marine animals often confuse them as jellyfish, and are often found choking to death. Scientist have even discovered a vortex of trash and plastic, the size of Texas, floating around in the Pacific Ocean. Plastic bags clog drains and waterways not only threatening natural environments, but urban ones as well, they were even blamed for the severe flooding in Bangladesh in 1988 and 1998. Overall we know that plastic bags are not good for the environment.
Heal the Bay has proclaimed December 20th as A Day Without A Disposable Bag Day . They will be handing out canvas bags in various locations throughout Los Angeles (click on this link for locations participating in the free canvas bag giveaway). Canvas bags are more effective in transporting your grocery items, as they will be less likely to break than their plastic counterparts.
Making a difference in our environment requires an individual's choice to change their habits. The simple act of bringing your own bags to the grocery store can make a difference in our fragile ecosystem. San Francisco has already banned plastic bags, and there is a movement in Los Angeles County to do the same.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
