San Francisco invaded by plastic bag monsters

Do you have it in you to be a bag monster? Help push for a ban of plastic shopping bags in California by dressing up in a funky shopping bag suit and invading San Francisco with 99 other Bag Monsters on Aug. 12.

Fri, Aug 06 2010 at 12:55 PM EST

Photo: Bag Monster

On Aug. 12, Maritime National Park in San Francisco, Calif., will be invaded by scores of bag monsters —environmental activists dressed up in giant burly suits, each made with 500 to 700 plastic shopping bags — who hope to bring attention to their support of California Bill AB 1998, which would ban single-use plastic shopping bags.

Event organizers are looking for volunteers to help by wearing one of the 100 costumes they have ready-made. If you're in the Bay area and would like to participate, contact Becca Schwalm at 530-342-4426 x 224 or at bagmonster@chicobag.com.

The bag monsters will start in Ghirardelli Square before going through the Aquatic Park, to Fisherman's Wharf, and then make their way back to Ghirardelli Square's West Plaza for a news conference, which starts at 1 p.m.

“Californians dispose of 19 billion plastic bags a year,” said Gina Goodhill, Oceans Advocate with Environment California. “And all of those bags don't dissolve into the air or end up in landfills. Even worse, they land in the ocean, where many become part of the swirling mass of plastic garbage known as the Pacific Garbage patch.”

The California state legislature votes on the bill on Aug. 14.

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