One simple and cost-effective way to reduce your carbon footprint is by using reusable shopping bags instead of constantly using new plastic ones. Plastic bags are made using petroleum, and they take hundreds of years to break down in landfills, or in oceans. There have been dozens of reports that suggest Americans use around 90 billion plastic bags every year, and less than 8% of them are recycled. By switching to reusable cloth and paper bags, you can reduce waste and help lower the demand for plastic production. My family has been slowly shifting towards the use of reusable bags; we have cloth bags in our cars and try to use them when shopping as much as we can. Not only does it help the environment, but it also saves money because some stores even charge extra for plastic bags.