For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Joanna Nasar
Communications Director
Turtle Island Restoration Network
Cell: (415) 488-7711
Joanna@SeaTurtles.Org
City of Galveston to Proclaims April 22nd ‘
Bring the Bag Day’
Galveston, Texas (March 24, 2016)– Today, at the Galveston City Council meeting the Bring the Bag campaign, an joint initiative of Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Surfrider Foundation, Galveston Chapter, received a City Proclamation naming April 22, 2016 ‘Bring the Bag Day’ in Galveston, Texas.
“We are thrilled to see the City of Galveston backing our work to reduce single use plastic bags in our oceans and protect endangered sea turtles,” said Joanie Steinhaus, Director of the Gulf of Mexico Office of Turtle Island Restoration Network. “Bring the Bag Day will be another way to raise awareness about this issue and provide residents and tourist an opportunity to participate in the solution,” she added.
This day will help the City of Galveston work towards the reduction and elimination of single-use plastic bags in order to create a safer, healthier and cleaner environment, and help build on the existing Bring the Bag campaign which encourages residents and tourists to ‘Bring the Bag’ and reduce single-use plastic bag pollution in Galveston, Texas.
“We are excited to have the support of the City of Galveston with the Bring the Bag campaign to raise awareness of the harmful effects of single use plastic bags to our environment,” said Cody Wright, Chair of the Galveston Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. “We hope Bring the Bag Day will help foster discussions within the community regarding alternatives to single use plastic bags as well as other opportunities to rise above plastics.”
The Bring the Bag campaign has important impacts for marine wildlife. Endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and other marine wildlife can easily mistake plastic bags for food because floating in the ocean they look similar to a jellyfish. Between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year, and these bags are used for an average of 12 minutes. With our close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston Bay and West Bay, there is a strong possibility for single-use bags to enter a waterway.
Galveston residents can participate in the ‘Bring the Bag’ initiative and help keep our oceans clean, by remembering to use reusable grocery bags when they shop.
Learn more at Facebook.com/BTBGalveston and BringTheBag.org.
View the Proclamation by clicking here.
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Our mission is the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. GalvestonSurfrider.com
Turtle Island Restoration Network works to mobilize people and communities around the world to protect marine wildlife, the oceans and the inland waterways that sustain them. Join us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. SeaTurtles.Org
