Paper or plastic? Or cotton? Or hemp? Or linen? People have a wider variety of bags to choose from now when checking out at the grocery store. A current trend among shoppers is the use of reusable grocery bags. The bags are part of the eco-friendly movement sweeping the nation.  Reusable grocery bags first appeared in larger cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, where stores had trouble keeping them on the shelves. After reusable bags were sold in March 2007 for a fundraiser in the U.K., the trend caught on quickly, and markets and health food chains began carrying the bags nationally.Now the bags can be found in almost every grocery store in operation — even Wal-Mart.  The U.S. uses more than 380 billion plastic bags per year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site. Most of the non biodegradable bags end up in landfills. Many animals mistake the bags for food and die after eating them.Whole Foods Market recently banned all plastic bags from their stores. Recycled paper bags are available for free, but shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags. “When guests reuse a paper bag, they receive $.05 off their bill for each bag, and if they have reusable bags, they receive $.10 off their total for each bag,” said Kristina Bradford, community relations coordinator for Whole Foods Markets in Louisiana. Bradford said customers at all Whole Foods locations are responding to the eco-friendly trend by purchasing reusable bags. A variety of bags are available at all Whole Foods Markets, including the Better Bag, which costs only 99 cents and is made from 80 percent post-consumer plastic bottles. Matherne’s Supermarket has carried reusable bags for a few months, and the reaction has been very positive. Bill Matherne, manager of Matherne’s Supermarket on Highland Road, said the bags sold immediately once they were put on the shelves. “We got them because people were asking for them,” Matherne said. Matherne said there have been more shoppers using reusable grocery bags in the past few months. “We used to have just a couple, but now we have a lot more,” he said. Even fashion designers have joined in on the eco-friendly trend. Many fashion houses offer reusable grocery bags at a steep price. Stella McCartney’s organic shopper sells for $495, Hermés sells a collapsible silk bag for $960, and Marni carries a bag for $843.    Web sites like Reusablebags.com and Gethipgetgreen.com offer stylish and affordable, reusable grocery bags, including zebra print and polka dot designs. Gethipgetgreen.com offers reusable bags and other eco-friendly products. A donation is made for each sale. to the children’s environmental group, “Green Ambassadors.” Susan Gaines, political science graduate student, said she keeps a Better Bag from Whole Foods Market in the trunk of her car, so she never forgets to bring it with her. “They’re only 99 cents,” Gaines said. “And I figured it would be less useless garbage to pile up.”—-Contact Victoria Toups at [email protected]