INSIDE SCOOP
COMMENTARY
SPORTS
BETTER LOOK BOTH WAYS PAGE 3 THE CELEBRITY BABY NAME GAME PAGE 5 ROMO’S UNLUCKY CHARM PAGE 14 Visit us online at smdp.com
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2007
Volume 7 Issue 33
Santa Monica Daily Press NICE KNOWING YA, E3 SEE PAGE 3
Since 2001: A news odyssey
THE CSUF ALUMNA NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO SPELL TUESDAY ISSUE
DEVELOPMENT
THE WAITING GAME The plans are set for the mall’s makeover, but Macerich needs a permit STORY BY KEVIN HERRERA PAGE 10
Rendering courtesy of Macerich Co.
Reusable is all the rage Plastic bags might be hard to come by today in stores BY MELODY HANATANI I Daily Press Staff Writer CITYWIDE There’s paper or plastic, and then there’s paper, plastic or heavy-duty reusable canvas bag. Consumers might want to opt for the latter when asking their grocery workers to bag their purchased goods today as local environmentalists are making a push to change consumer behavior when it comes to their usage of disposable and ecologically harmful plastic bags. Retailers and non-profit organizations across Los Angeles County will participate in the first “Day Without a Bag” event today, encouraging consumers to ditch the plastic carriers in favor of a more Earth-friendly mode of transporting products. Santa Monica-based Heal the Bay is sponsoring the day-long campaign, along with various corporations and municipalities, including the city of Santa Monica. “The intent is to educate people how easy it is to use
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reusable bags rather than plastic throwaway bags,” said Jessica Belsky, spokeswoman for Heal the Bay. “It makes a huge impact on the environment and our hope is that people will continue to use the reusable bags throughout.” Each year, Californians use more than 19 billion plastic grocery bags, approximately 6 billion of which come from Los Angeles County, averaging to about 552 bags per person. The usage of plastic bags is believed to generate more than 147,038 tons of waste, which can span the globe more than 250 times, according to figures provided by Heal the Bay. The cost to California taxpayers is in the range of $25 million to collect plastic bags that end up in the landfill every year. The disposable bags oftentimes end up in marine life, consumed by and ultimately killing sea animals that mistake them for food. Santa Monica businesses will be joining in on the green festivities today, handing out free promotional bags or offering discounts. All of the 99 Cents Only Stores in the county will be giving away a free reusable bag on purchases of more than $50, while the eco-chic free bags will be distributed at Ralph’s and
Brandon Wise news@smdp.com
THE PLASTICS: Grocers like Ralphs will participate in the first
SEE BAGS PAGE 9
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‘Day Without a Bag’ by distributing free reusable bags.
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