Thanks for the wake up call, Shopgirl. I use my canvas bags when I think of it, but will make more of an effort now. I sent this to everyone on my contacts list, and I hope every one who is on this board will do the same. I can't believe we as a population are so stupid.....duh...

Fighting the tide of plastic bags in a world awash with waste
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/13/eco.plasticbagwaste/index.html

I believe all of this - what do we have to do to make this happen? How about bringing back paper bags so we have something biodegradable to use for garbage? I use my large cloth and small canvas bags to bring home stuff but have not found anything other than plastic for the garbage. I’m open for suggestions.
Oh - I sent this to all of my family - thanks for the link.

I also carry my canvas bags with me and sometimes forget them in the car! In that case, if paper is not an alternative I will use the plastic as there are numerous recycling centers now, WalMart is one of them. As for the garbage bags I found an on line store called Green Home that sells them, they are a bit more expensive but to me worth it and I am also hoping that one day the bio degradable ones will become cheaper than the others!! Try GreenHome.com for a large variety of bags. As with every thing, education is the key to the start of change. I am so impressed with everyones insight on this. Keep up the great work!