It would make my life so much easier if everyone would stop using plastic bags for their groceries. Although I’ve been carrying my own cloth grocery bags for who knows how long, the puzzled glances and disparaging remarks about my “hippie bags” can still get annoying. On a recent trip to Target, I piled my considerable assortment of school supplies, soccer cleats, granola bars and fresh fruit onto the conveyor belt with my cloth bags prominently displayed on top. The young cashier, seeing that my grocery bags were obviously not new and were without tags, looked puzzled and asked. “What do you want me to do with these?”

I replied. “Could you pack my things in them, please?”

After a few minutes of scanning and packing , she asked again, “Do you want ALL your things in here?” “Yes, please,” I replied. Then, a few minutes later, she asked again, “Are you SURE you want all your things in here?” “Yes,” I said, “that would be great.”

I started using the reusable bags in order to avoid the insane amount of plastic coming into my house. It seemed wasteful to trash the darn things, and taking them back to the grocery store was simply inconvenient. The plastic bag pillows would roll around in my trunk for weeks before they actually made it into the recycling bin.

But then I started hearing about the damage the ubiquitous carryall is inflicting on the environment. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Americans use 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil are required to make that many bags. Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistake them for food, according to reusablebags.com. In April, San Francisco enacted a ban on the plastic checkout bags at large grocery stores and pharmacies. In Ireland shoppers pay a tax of about 15 cents per bag, and money from the tax goes to recycling programs. Other countries that have taken steps to discourage the use of plastic bags include Australia, Bangladesh, Italy, Taiwan and South Africa.

So I embraced my crunchy nature and started using the reusable bags more diligently. I even keep a couple in the back of my mom-mobile to make remembering them easier. At my neighborhood megamart, I keep an eye out for the checkout line staffed by my favorite bagger. An older gentleman, he knows how to pack $50 worth of groceries in two or three bags — and no dirty looks.

Some area grocery stores even have incentives to encourage reusable bags. Kroger and Lowes Foods will give you frequent shopper points that you can redeem for discounts on purchases. At Trader Joe’s, every time you bring in your own bags, your name is entered into a raffle for $50 worth of groceries. Whole Foods, not surprisingly, has the best incentive: five cents off the order for each filled bag.

So please, grab a box, reuse your paper sacks, pull out the organic hemp string totes; it’s really not that hard. Besides, if enough people refuse to use paper or plastic, then “hippie bags” might become the next must-have accessory. And that would be great for the environment — and for me.

Contact Amber Keister at akeister@nando.com or 460-2610.

A brand new bag

Reusable bags are available from local retailers including Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s and The Fresh Market.

Online sources include: reusablebags.com, greensak.com, badlani.com/bags and ama zon.com.

Online directions for a simple canvas tote can be found at make-it-easy.com/opentot2.html.

For a knitted string bag try the instructions at knitty.com/ISSUEsummer07/PATTeverlast ing.html or magknits.com/June06/pat terns/market.htm.

Are you striving for a more simple, more meaningful Christmas this year? Have you resolved to buy more locally made gifts? Have you switched to LED holiday lighting? Please e-mail akeis ter@nando.com if your family is trying to have a greener holiday this year. She’ll include your ideas in an upcoming column.