Becoming more environmentally-friendly doesn’t always have to involve serious effort. In fact, you can support sustainable practices by joining me in one of my very favorite pastimes, shopping for clothing and accessories. Just for today, let’s forget about green cleaners, diapers and organic food and talk about purses.

I am in awe of the unique and super creative bags over at Ecoist**. All of the featured handbags are made from repurposed materials (like discarded food packages, soda bottle labels, rice bags, soda can pull-tabs, candy wrappers and movie billboards) as well as sustainable fabrics such as Jute, Hemp and organic cotton. Hey, don’t take my word for it – take a look for yourself.

1. Candy Wrapper Bags** – These handmade, one-of-a-kind handbags (made in Mexico and Peru) are made from candy and food wrappers that have been discarded by manufacturers. The multi-color patterns will liven up any boring outfit. (I’m partial to the green Diva clutch**.)

2. Jute Handbags** – Designed by Nazly Villamizar, each handbag is meticulously handcrafted by Colombian artisans using Jute, a natural fiber sustainably grown in Colombia. The jute is dyed with organic, chemical-free products and the zippers are made of Tagua seed.

3. Pull-tab bags** – These inexpensive clutches are only 39 dollars and make a great conversation piece.

4. Recycled newspaper bags** – Made from recycled newspaper, handwoven organic cotton, silks and jute, these bags employ a co-op of 32 women located in Brazil. We have a couple of recycled newspaper-type vases in our home and people really flock to their interesting shape and texture. Now, I can carry one around town if so please. (I’m looking at you, Sun shape**.)

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