Thank to my brother-in-law Jay Fite for sending this link to a disturbing Pocono Record slideshow on the environmental hazards of plastic shopping bags. I've been considering buying some canvas, reusable shopping bags for a while now, but I don't like the idea of being a walking advertisement for a grocery store. But after seeing this slideshow, I've decided I need environmentally friendly shopping bags SOON.

So I hope to kill two birds with one stone by asking our school PTO to consider selling canvas grocery bags with the school's logo. Sounds like the perfect fundraiser to me. These bags are growing in popularity, and I'm sure people would rather have some that say "So-and-So Elementary" instead of "Kroger," plus they'd be helping out the school in the process.

In the meantime, I've been on the lookout for reusable grocery bags that support a good cause. Also, I'm interested in reasonably priced bags (I've seen some that are $60 and support a great cause, but that's not exactly within my means or the means of most people I know). I've read in quite a few places that ordering such bags online somewhat negates the environmental benefits of reusable bags, once you factor in the environmental impact of shipping.

If anyone knows of some reasonably priced, environmentally friendly shopping bags offered locally, benefitting a good cause and absent of a grocery-store logo, please let me know.