Surfrider Foundation’s Humboldt Chapter joined the statewide effort to celebrate Reusable Bag day Thursday by handing out 200 free Halloween-themed reusable bags and advocating “Yes on 67,” the state proposition supporting California’s single-use plastic bag ban.  

Volunteers distributed the bags during the lunchtime rush hour outside Wildberries and the North Coast Co-op - both long-time supporters of sustainable bag options. “Many of shoppers agreed that plastic bags are unnecessary and many had their own reusable bags with them already. Plastic bags are a temporary convenience that leave long term effects on our planet, especially in our oceans,” stated Surfrider volunteer and HSU student, Brook Maxim.  

The Humboldt chapter was among at least ten of Surfrider California’s chapters handing out free bags on Thursday. Reusable Bag Day is a educational opportunity to remind shoppers that refusing plastic bags in favor of reusable bags helps protect our ocean and keeps California beautiful – one bag at a time. If Proposition 67 passes, California will be the first state in the nation to enact a statewide plastic checkout bag ban. 

With the current rate of plastic entering our ocean, scientists predict there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. In the U.S. we go through 100 billion plastic bags a year – an average of 360 bags for every person in the country. During the event Surfrider had the “Bag Monster” roaming around the grocery stores to illustrate what one average shopper’s use of plastic bags looks like in a year, and to “scare” people away from using plastic bags. 

Surfrider Foundation is one of many other environmental groups, businesses, organizations, organized labor, elected officials, and citizens that support Yes on 67 - Protect California’s Plastic Bag Ban. Supporters in Humboldt County include; Kokatat, North Coast Environmental Center, Pacific Outfitters, PacOut Green Team, Environmental Protection Information Center, Friends of the Dunes, Humboldt Baykeeper, Zero Waste Humboldt, City of Eureka, Arcata City Council members, Humboldt Waste Management Authority, and County Supervisor Mark Lovelace. 

A complete list of supporters for Yes on 67 can be found HERE. 

To be added to the list of supporters go HERE

Check out North Coast News coverage of the events HERE 

Have a bag!