Go Green tip of the day 5/12 Say No to Paper or Plastic

Say No to Paper or Plastic

You don't have to wait till grocery bags are banned: Say no to plastic or paper ones now. Instead, bring your own reusable shopping bags. Consider an entire set of reusable, double-handled hemp bags that work great for a large order, and reusable organic cotton mesh bags for your fruits and vegetables.

For trips to the mall, opt for one of the new, eco-chic bags from sources such as Reusablebags. These funky, graphically inspired totes and messenger bags are crafted from unlikely materials such as rice and sewn by hand in small batches in Cambodia. EcoBags, another source, carries totes made from recycled cotton, as well as a recycled cotton lunch sack to replace the brown bag or Ziploc.

Or better yet, buy a FEED bag and support a project started by Lauren Bush, an honorary spokesperson for the UN World Food Program. Proceeds from the sale go to feed a child for a school year. The goal: Reduce the billions of plastic and paper bags headed for a landfill near you with a smarter answer.