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What's wrong with plastic bags? Lots. They often wind up as litter, or in trees. They drift into oceans and rivers and kill fish. They can take 1,000 years to decompose. And every time we use a plastic bag, we drive up the demand for oil - which is used to make plastics.

According to EPA, which has a Webpage about shopping bags, the U.S. consumes about 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps a year. Fewer than 5 percent are recycled.

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In a surprisingly entertaining book about packaging called "Paper or Plastic? Searching for Solutions to an Overpackaged World" (Sierra Club Books, 2005), Daniel Imhoff digs into the "paper or plastic" question to illuminate the environmental impact of each choice:

"Do we clearcut forests, grind them to chips, and pulp and bleach them with chlorine-based compounds (generally carcinogenic byproducts) to make boxes, bags and to-go cups primarily for one-time use?" he writes. That's paper.

"Or do we make a pact with demon hydrocarbon, refining ancient sunlight into light, easily compactible bottles, wraps and foams?" That's plastic.

His answer? Neither.

"Use cloth bags," Imhoff told me. "Have a bunch of them, and keep them in your car."

Yes, it takes a little planning but "if we can't solve these problems by making little changes, we're really in trouble."

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