p>Even with the world going green, plastic bags seem to be everywhere. Americans use approximately 1 billion shopping bags a year, but they recycle less than 1 percent of that amount, sending 300,000 tons into landfills, according to the Clean Air Council. Those bags that are dumped into landfills don't biodegrade. Instead, sunlight breaks them down into particles that contaminate our soil and water.

Why let this happen when there's a solution? It's easy and eco-friendly to reuse plastic shopping and sandwich bags. Try these ideas to put plastic bags to new use. (Of course, remember to wash well before reuse!)

SANDWICH BAGS

1. Pastry bag. Why buy a pastry bag when you can use sandwich bags? Put your icing, deviled egg mixture or whipped potatoes into a sealable bag and push the air out. Seal the bag and snip off a corner. Start with a small hole and try to pipe. If necessary, you can make the hole larger.

1. Funnel. Just snip a corner off, fill and funnel. You'll be able to pour anything from peppercorns into a peppermill to olive oil into a decorative container.

1. Cheese storage. Fresh cheese just tastes better than pre-shredded. Save the time of having to grate cheese for every pizza and make up a bulk batch. Double-bag and store in the fridge or freezer to preserve freshness.

1. Chocolate melter. Mess free! Put chocolate in a sealable freezer bag. Fill a pan or bowl with hot water. Put the bag in the water and, in a few minutes, you'll have melted chocolate. Double duty alert! Snip off a corner of the bag and you have an instant pastry bag (see above).

1. Closet cedar. Love the smell of cedar but don't have the cash to do your whole closet? Buy a bag of hamster bedding chips and place a handful in a resealable sandwich bag. Punch some holes in the bag and hang it on a hanger in the closet. The cedar will also keep fabric-munching moths at bay.

1. Pencil case. Make sure your students always have pens, pencils and crayons ready by putting some in a zippered sandwich bag. Punch three holes in the bottom of the bag and slip it onto the rings of a three-ring binder for even more organization.

1. Makeup case. Keep your luggage free of goopy spills by putting toiletries into plastic bags. You can do this for jewelry too. Use one bag per "outfit" so that necklace and earrings are together, and all your necklaces don't get tangled into one mess.

1. Clutter keeper. Corral junk drawer items in bags. This is perfect for batteries, marbles, crafters beads and even rubber bands and clothespins.

1. Cold pack. Freeze a wet washcloth (or several of them) in a sandwich or freezer bag so you'll always be ready when the kids twist an ankle or hit their head.

1. Baby wipe holder. Save some money by making your own baby-safe wipes, then storing them in zipper-lock sandwich bags. The earth-friendly wipes will stay wet for months. To make the wipes (courtesy of www.babies411.com): Cut a roll of paper towels in half width-wise. Place the paper towels in a deep bowl. Combine 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons baby wash or shampoo, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of baby or olive oil. Pour liquid over towels and soak through. After 10 minutes, flip the roll over. Take the cardboard center out, place the paper towels in a sandwich bag and you'll be able to pull the wipes out one by one.

GROCERY BAGS