Sacks appeal

More stores are offering good-looking reusable bags

Next time you're off to do a little shopping, remember to BYOB -- bring your own bag, preferably one that's reusable.

In honor of Earth Day on Tuesday, we take a look at some of the reusable shopping bags available in the area, checking not just for durability and functionality but style as well.

There's a good chance you already have at least one. They're quickly replacing the plastic bags that have become so prevalent over the past 30 years. It's estimated that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed each year around the world. And of that number, 380 billion are used in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Billions of those bags end up as litter each year, according to www.reusablebags.com. Since they don't biodegrade, some bags break down into small toxic bits that animals eat. Worse still, some animals such as whales and sea turtles die after they mistake the bags for food, according to the site.

Finding a reusable shopping bag, however, is easier than ever these days. Most major grocery stores have one, most selling for less than $2 each. And each bag is big enough to hold at least two plastic bags' worth of groceries. Even some stores you wouldn't expect have them, including Big Lots and the women's fashion boutiques, Uniquities and Gena Chandler.

And some stores, including Great Outdoor Provision Co., offer a discount to shoppers that reuse their bags. The company's oversized reusable bag costs $4.95 (but stay tuned, there might be a bag-with-purchase program soon) and shoppers get 50 cents back when they return to shop with it.

"We're just encouraging people to reuse," said Chuck Millsaps, a spokesman for Raleigh-based Great Outdoor. "It's a savings for the environment. And it saves us a big paper bag going out."

We found nearly two dozen, ranging in style and price from free to $25.