Jessica Schein

As a tote-bag toter for a while now I’m pretty excited about this. After all, every year Washingtonians use more than 2 billion single-use plastic bags and Seattle goes through approximately 292 million, only 13% of which are recycled.

That is a lot of bags for the 13th most populous state. Can you imagine how many are distributed in California (#1), Texas (#2), and New York (#3)?

Right now Eugene (Oregon), Austin (Texas), and Jackson (Wyoming) are all considering similar laws, which is great, but I hope that this initiative spreads to a lot more cities sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, plastic bags don’t need to be outlawed in your town for you to do your part now. By using a reusable tote you’ll protect wildlife and reduce landfill waste. Yes, it’s that simple! Plus, it’s pretty much the easiest 2012 resolution to add to your list—and keep.