In Los Angeles, Heal the Bay has crowned December 15 “Day Without A Bag.” The event is part of the group’s efforts to ban plastic grocery bags, and is well-timed to coincide with L.A. City Council’s expected approval of a sweeping ban on single-use shopping bags.

Day Without A Bag urges people to go without single-use bags by gifting shoppers with free printed reusable bags. Over 60 locations will host grassroots bag giveaways and peer-to-peer education.

The free reusable bag giveaways will continue beyond Day Without a Bag, as “Green Santa” and his L.A. County Public Works’ Eco-Elf Patrol will distribute bags throughout the L.A. area through January 1, 2012. Shoppers spotted using reusable bags will score prizes.

In 2010, L.A. County approved an ordinance banning plastic bags in unincorporated areas and placing a 10-cent charge on paper bags. The measure became effective in July for supermarkets–and begins for liquor and convenience stores on January 1.

L.A. City Council is now considering a ban on single-use paper and plastic bags at grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies. The ordinance, which would be the most far-reaching of its kind in the nation, is slated for a vote on December 14.

According to Heal the Bay, over 4 million Californians live in communities where plastic bags are banned. An estimated 2.33 billion single-use plastic carryout bags and 400 million single-use paper bags are used annually in the city of L.A. With less than 5% of those bags being recycled, the vast majority winds up gobbling up precious landfill, clogging storm drains or fouling our oceans.

We think EVERY DAY should be Day Without A Bag. Let the reusable shopping bag movement continue!