The New York State Legislature recently passed a plastic bag ban in the state budget, making the Green Bag Lady project a movement that is just in time.

A team of volunteers, known as bagettes, sew bags out of donated fabric and give them away for free — but, that is only if people promise to refuse paper and plastic while shopping. 

The chapter leader hopes more volunteers will join or donate fabric to help protect the environment and water.

"It's a finite resource," said Margaret Little, the Green Bag Lady Onondaga County chapter leader. "We need to take better care of it than we are doing right now. So, keeping the waterways clean and safe is important to me. I also have five grandchildren and I want to try to leave the world a pretty, nice place for them to grow up in."

The Syracuse group has made about 250 bags. There is another Green Bag Lady location in Cortland. 

If you are interested in donating or sewing, you can reach out to the Maxwell Memorial Library in Camillus or go to the Green Bag Lady website.