I don’t live on the West Coast, but I completely support the towns and counties in and around Los Angeles that have declared today, December 20th, as Shop-without-a-Bag Day. They’re encouraging residents doing any last-minute Christmas shopping to bring a reusable bag with them to the store today in hopes that folks will get into the habit of bringing reusable bags every day. Yes, this is a green move for the environment but also to protect one of California’s natural gems–the sea lions, which often make the fatal mistake of consuming plastic bags.

Visit the Heal the Bay website for more information on where local residents can pick up free reusable bags.