GREEN TIP # 20

To bag or not to bag: Next time you go grocery shopping, think twice before getting your purchases bagged. Did you know it takes one 15- to 20-year-old tree to make enough paper for only 700 grocery bags? Bring cloth bags when you shop (such as the Roots Eco-Bag), and if you forget, put your purchases in as few bags as possible.

Paper or plastic? Plastic bags are more convenient than paper but they're not biodegradable. Plastic bags often wind up in the ocean and kill marine animals that get tangled up in them or swallow them. Paper bags are biodegradable but are often made from virgin paper because, manufacturers say, heavy loads require the long fibers in virgin pulp. - Provided by Zerofootprint, an innovative Toronto-based organization that helps companies and organizations reduce their environmental impact. See www.zerofootprint.net