"Paper or plastic?" is a question that is slowly going out of style. According to this San Francisco Chronicle article, the reusable grocery bag market is exploding. "If you asked me two years ago, there were dozens of reusable bags. Now there are a hundred or more," said Vincent Cobb, founder of ReusableBags.com, an online store that sells grocery totes. Companies like ChicoBag, My Own Bag and Olive Smart bags are making reusable bags easier to use and more aesthetically pleasing.

At the same time, major supermarkets across the country are manufacturing and selling reusable bags with their own logos and at lower prices than many of the smaller, independent companies.