You’re in the checkout line at the grocery store and it’s time to make your decision. Which do you choose — Paper or Plastic? 

How about neither? 

When grocery shopping, bringing your own bag is the more environmentally responsible choice.

In the U.S., petroleum-based plastic bags consume approximately 12 million barrels of oil annually. Many of those bags never get recycled. They often end up in landfills, trees and waterways where animals may mistake them for food.

Paper bags, although more easily recyclable, and often viewed as the more eco-friendly choice, can consume four times as much energy to produce as plastic bags. The manufacturing process also generates up to 70 percent more air pollution.

Make it easy on yourself and the environment — Keep your own reusable shopping bags in your car with you. That way you will always have them with you when you need them. Many major grocery stores now sell re-usable shopping bags for as little as $0.99 each right near the checkout counter. You can also often find them free at local events where businesses use them as promotional give-aways.

So the next time you’re checking out at the grocery store and the cashier asks you “would you like paper or plastic?” you can feel good about yourself and your environmental footprint when you say, “I’ll be using my own bags today!”