This year in California, December 16th is declared Day Without a Bag by non-profit environmental group Heal the Bay. The event is designed to give municipalities information on enacting single-use bag bans, similar to the one approved for unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County last month.

More than 6 billion single-use plastic bags are used by L.A. County residents each year, according to a 2007 report. Heal the Bay said an average Californian uses 500 to 600 plastic bags each year. Only 5% of single-use plastic bags are recycled, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board. A reusable bag that lasts two years, said Heal the Bay, holds the potential to save 1,000 plastic bags.

(Source: Day Without a Bag targets holiday shoppers [Los Angeles Time])