'Got Your Bags?' Campaign Kicks Off in San Jose

Statewide effort to promote reusable shopping bags and increase plastic bag
recycling

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Today non-profit, government and
business groups joined together to kick off the "Got Your Bags?" campaign - a
public education and outreach effort aimed at encouraging Californians to use
reusable bags for shopping and bring plastic bags back to the store for
recycling.

California state law (AB 2449) requires grocery stores and pharmacies with
more than 10,000 square feet of retail space to provide bins for the
collection and recycling of plastic shopping bags. Yet research shows that
consumer awareness remains low, and shoppers often forget to bring their bags
back to the store. The same holds true for reusable bags.

"Our goal with this campaign is to give consumers that extra reminder so they
translate good intentions into action," said Christine Flowers-Ewing,
Executive Director of Keep California Beautiful. "We all play an important
role in trimming trash, stopping litter and helping to make California the
most beautiful and cleanest state in the nation!"

In San Jose, the "Got Your Bags?" campaign is working to bring together a
coalition of partners that will help spread the important environmental
messages in a number of creative ways. For example, Save Mart and Lucky
Supermarkets are promoting the campaign at hundreds of stores throughout the
Bay Area and Northern California, and this weekend will give away up to 80,000
reusable bags in their Santa Clara county stores.

"Our company and our stores work hard at educating our customers to reduce
waste by using reusable bags and recycling their single-use plastic bags in
our stores," said Alicia Rockwell, Director of Public Relations with Save Mart
Supermarkets. "We all need to be reminded of the three 'R's' and that is
exactly what the 'Got Your Bags?' campaign is doing."

State government has also joined the campaign efforts. "We welcome the
opportunity to partner with Keep California Beautiful and others on the "Got
Your Bags?" initiative," said Chris Peck, public affairs director with the
California Integrated Waste Management Board. "Making the switch from
single-use paper or plastic bags to reusable ones is a simple but important
step we can all take to benefit the environment."

The American Chemistry Council, which includes the Progressive Bag Affiliates
- a group of leading manufacturers and recyclers of plastic bags and plastic
resins in the United States - also are participating in the effort. "Plastic
bags are too valuable to waste and should be recycled. We are delighted to
work with Keep California Beautiful to help promote access to convenient
recycling for San Jose residents," said Tim Shestek, Senior Director of State
Affairs with the American Chemistry Council.

The "Got Your Bags?" campaign originated as a grassroots effort with the
Mariposa County Public Works Department (MCPWD) and the Mariposa County
Unified School District, who worked together on a pilot stenciling project in
local supermarket parking lots. MCPWD staff created the "Got Your Bags?"
slogan and logo stencil design. The stencil painting was then incorporated
into a lesson plan on recycling for summer school students.

To learn more about the "Got Your Bags?" campaign, visit
www.keepcaliforniabeautiful.org, or call 916-368-9301.

SOURCE Keep California Beautiful

Christine Flowers-Ewing of Keep California Beautiful, +1-916-844-6457,
keepcabeautiful@sbcglobal.net