Looking for a new bag? Check out the range of sustainably sourced bags from Noon Solar. The Chicago based designer of bags produces a range of bags from hand-dyed hemp to vegetable-tanned leathers, all of which incorporate a flexible solar panel as well so they can charge your mobile phone or iPod as you walk about town, or even while you’re sitting at work (with the bag left in the sunlight of course).

The energy from the solar panel is collected by a small lithium-ion battery pack inside the bag, so your device can charge day or night using the energy collected from the sun.

[Via Inhabitat]

Here’s a really simple way you can make a difference: next time you go shopping, take reusable bags with you instead of using those free plastic bags that the supermarkets hand out (normally in pairs). If you forget the bags, you can still avoid the plastic in many places by asking for paper bags (just remember to reuse or recycle them - I use them for my kitchen food scraps and then throw the whole thing into the composting bin).

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