Palo Alto, Calif. – Palo Alto launches a new reminder campaign today to help residents remember to bring their reusable shopping bags. The percentage of reusable bag use has doubled from 9 percent to 18 percent between 2008 and 2009 and the city aims to increase reusable bag usage again to 30 percent in 2010.

“We are very happy that more shoppers are using reusable bags,” said Glenn Roberts, Public Works Director. “This one step of remembering your reusable bags can result in a reduction of thousands of bags.”

While Palo Alto shoppers are on board with using reusable bags, research indicates they need help remembering to use them. Palo Alto’s reminder campaign is part of a Bay Area-wide campaign organized by the Bay Area Recycling Outreach Coalition (BayROC). The coalition partnered with San Francisco State University students to develop the campaign’s television and radio advertisements.

“By coordinating Palo Alto’s reusable bag campaign with other Bay Area governments, we hope to increase awareness of this important issue and make bringing reusable bags part of our local culture,” said Council Member Yoriko Kishimoto. “Every effort on our part counts and Palo Alto stores have stepped up to help remind shoppers with this campaign.”

Participating stores in Palo Alto are helping prompt shoppers by issuing bag credits for reusable bag use, distributing reminder kits and displaying signs reminding their customers to use a reusable bag whenever they shop.

The City of Palo Alto Zero Waste Program works with the community to conserve resources and minimize material consumption, and to reduce
our community’s waste by 90 percent by 2021. For more information about Zero Waste, go to http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/zerowaste.

For more information about Palo Alto’s Reusable Bag Campaign, go to http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/byobag.

For more information on BayROC, go to http://www.igotmybag.org.