A word about those cheap, reusable shopping bags available at various stores. These are polypropylene and polyester. Both are synthetic fibers and are not biodegradable. How many tons of them are made, and how many of them are not recycled when they are damaged?

The stores make them available for their customers to purchase and then improve their "green" image with the consumer --and cheaply too. However, they are creating just another problem. Further, the consumer has not educated him/herself enough --on the whole --about what s/he is consuming. We've become sheep, trusting in those who lead us.

Open your mind and learn some things! And for the love of all that is holy --think things through! I was in Earth Fare (a healthy living grocery chain) a few months back, and they had a sign up that stated that plastic bags are lighter and therefore use less energy in transportation. Let's think this through. Would not the shipping truck be the same size? And would not the manufacturer pack that truck with more bags because they are smaller, thinner, and weigh less? So would they not in the end take the same if not more fuel to ship? Also how much energy goes into manufacturing plastic versus paper? Further, plastic is still not biodegradable! What happens to those bags that don't make it back to the store to be re-used?

Just saying. . .think it through. Don't just jump on the nearest bandwagon screaming past because it sounds good! And buy organic cotton canvas bags and troll the thrift stores for old tote bags!