Stylish Eco-Totes

With more and more cities thinking about jumping the "Ban Plastic Bags!" bandwagon, the paper-or-plastic dilemma may someday be obsolete. But paper is an only slightly better alternative. The greenest option? Look in your closet and drawers for a strong, durable, reusable bag, and take it with you to the supermarket, mall, or your favorite takeout place. If you don't already own one, these picks made from recycled and ecofriendly materials -- everything from bamboo to juice boxes -- are the next best thing (pictured clockwise from center).

Adding Up
Alchemy Goods collects old advertisement banners from around Seattle to create Ad Bags. The handles, made from seat belts, have a nonslip grip courtesy of old bike inner tubes. thegreenloop.com

Pocket Pouch
A combination of bamboo and linen, this lightweight, foldable bag from Envirosax was printed with vegetable-based inks and comes with a small pouch, perfect for storing in your purse. envirosax.com

Cotton Club
Stewart+Brown, purveyor of a stylish line of organic clothing, saves cotton from rotting in textile mills and uses it in its line of graphic Surplus canvas totes. stewartbrown.com

Curtain Call
With the motto "from junk to funk," Allison Teich of Again NYC creates limited edition shopping bags from leftover bolts of fabric or old curtains. againnyc.com

Chill Out
Keep your eggs and milk cold all the way home by storing them in this insulated cooler from Bazura Bags, crafted out of discarded juice boxes by a women's cooperative in the Philippines. bazurashop.com

Sail Away
Once a sail has traveled as far as it can go on the high seas, Portland, Maine-based Hannah Kubiak and Beth Shissler of Sea Bags turn it into indestructible nautical-inspired totes. nivaterra.com