Shopping Bags

So you need to go shopping, and need a convenient way of bringing home your prizes? How can we reduce our consumption here? Bring your own bags. Plastic bags that are used once and thrown away, or even used twice (we use ours as trash can liners), both fill landfills for minimal-use material, and use precious fossil fuels to make. Paper bags aren't much better - sure the material is biodegradable and recyclable, but still recycled fibers or (much more likely) trees have to be cut down to make them. Keep a stash of tote bags - you know, you get these from trade shows, you can even buy them as souvenirs from some stores. Some places even pay you for bringing in your own bags, like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's.