Why not cancel the newspaper delivery altogether & read the news online?

Agreed! I'm also amazed by the amount of online-version magazine subscriptions too!

What about using cloth napkins? I use them at home (which begs the question about washing them -- a similar issue to cloth diapers vs disposable)

So given all the news in the media lately about plastic bags, I have a question. Ok, several:

If reuse paper or plastic, or better yet nylon or cotton bags for my shopping and decline all those new plastic bags, what do I do for garbage bags?

Is it better to buy a box of glad bags for my trash cans, or continue to accept the grocery bags and use them for trash?

Some of you will say "use paper trash bags and simply clean out your garbage can every week."

If I do that, and use a detergent of some kind to cut grease, odors, and bacteria, aren't I contributing to the chemical load in our water system?

I'm not being sarcastic or a smarty pants. I guess question that underlies these is: What behavior has the least impact? I'm not sure one way or another and would love a definitive answer. If there is one.

While we try to be green, washing clothes in cold water doesn't do it for me. At least underwear, towels, and sheets get the hot water treatment in our house. The towels and sheets just smell better. When we lived in Albuquerque, that wasn't a problem because if you put your whites on the line they get blindingly bright. Nuevo Mexico! sigh.

I wish we could line dry, but our laundry would all end up pink, thanks to our bright red dirt!