My mother attends a LOT of conferences, where the favorite schwag seems to be canvas bags. They work GREAT!! Especially if you bag your own or get an understanding cashier (which has NEVER happened to me at Wal-Mart. I had a cashier straight up tell me once that she wasn't "allowed" to put anything in the bags I brought with me!). If you're maneuvering a week's worth of groceries plus a toddler, having 3 or 4 big canvas bags slung over your shoulders works soooo much better than 496 plastic bags, each holding one can of peas.

It's pretty horrific, the plastic bag problem. America should be ashamed of itself for this alone, if nothing else *cough*.