Save the Earth? Check. I know it’s not always easy to alter your habits and lifestyle to lessen your carbon footprint. But regardless of how busy you are and how inconvenient it is, there’s always something you can do to help out in the worldwide struggle to preserve our natural resources. Here’s one easy way to check “save the Earth” off your checklist for the week: be a green shopper! Next time you go grocery shopping, bring along your own bags. Just keep a few reusable bags in your trunk, shop til you drop, and ask the bagger to please use your own bags at check-out. (You’ll never have to hear “paper or plastic?” again!)

Huh? I have earth-happy bags? I bet you have some old totes lying around somewhere that are qualified for the job. Check the top shelves of your closet, bottom of your junk drawers, and even the garage. If your search is unsuccessful, turn to your local grocery store. Most food stores actually sell reusable bags for next to nothing. But if you’d rather shop for your own, you can find a ton of bags made for this purpose online. Check out ENVIROSAX.com for designer reusable bags and ReusableBags.com for a plethora of “green” products. You can even use these bags while apparel shopping. Sacrificing those huge Nordstrom and Victoria Secret bags won’t be as hard as it seems, I promise! You can also surf AlternativeConsumer.com for a FULL list of retailers and detailed descriptions of products for the eco-conscious consumer.

What’s My Bag Really Made of? If this idea just doesn’t appeal to you, try a different approach: stylish handbags made with recycled materials. I ran across Eco-handbags.ca and this has to be one of the coolest website’s I’ve seen in a while. Even if you’re not into ecology, you have to check this out. They’ve created unique bags and other items from every single recyclable material you can think of - and they are seriously cool. (My immediate idea was that they’d make great gifts, actually!) Or if you’re looking for luxury leather goods instead of plastic purses, check out AshleyWatson.net for a trendy collection of recycled leather purses and wallets. These slouchy bags come in both vibrant and neutral colors and a variety of shapes that I’ve seen lots of celebrities wearing this season.

Eco-Fashionista? Check. Once you get started searching for eco-friendly bags, it becomes kind of fun! You’d be surprised how many retailers are dedicated to creating bags fit for the environment. And the best part is that once you start wearing and gifting these bags, I bet you’ll inspire others to do the same. Before you know it, you’ll be trend setting and Earth saving – and look great doing it!

Image Courtesy of Envirosax.com

Image Courtesy of Eco-handbags.ca

Image Courtesy of Eco-handbags.ca