TUCSON, Ariz. — From organic cotton makeup bags for sale at Target to locally made products for sale at street fairs, Earth conscious shoppers now have the chance to buy eco-friendly products without leaving the neighborhood.

"One main reason for me not buying organic products is because I don't see a lot of them or I guess am not really looking for them," said Nicole Stuckey of Bloomington, Ill.

Retailers are trying to change that by making green the new pink—and even including that saying on all sorts of sacks from book bags to suitcases.

"I love the idea that these stores are now offering organic products," Stuckey said. "I think more stores should do the same and follow their lead. Everyone should be trying to put in a little effort into making the earth a better place."

One company exploring sustainable bags is Wal-Mart while another is a store that Stuckey frequents at her local mall. Victoria's Secret recently launched a line of $19.50 bags made completely from organic cotton.

"I did know when I purchased the bag that it was 100-percent organic cotton and it influenced my purchase greatly," said Stuckey, who bought the one that says "Save water share a shower" also because she liked the slogan.

But are the corporate bags really that eco-friendly? Most corporations manufacture their bags outside of the United States, which is a problem says SalvationSacks owner Margaret Prodonov of San Diego.

"Unfortunately the 'green bandwagon' that bigger corps have jumped on may embrace some organic and recycled fabric concepts, but often times, the mass production processes are still dirty," Prodonov said. "The cheap labor issue is still a huge problem for social responsibility, which I believe is just as important as textile choices."

SalvationSacks uses second hand materials to make everything from bowler bags to messenger sacks. "I scour local San Diego thrift stores and also other states in the US when visiting family. I also go to garage sales and work closely with several furniture design studios to pick up remnants and scraps," she said.

Unlike corporations, Prodonov is a one woman operation with a part-time assistant "who helps cut the fabrics, organize colors and pick out belts for straps and jewelry adornment for each bag." Each large bag takes three to four hours to construct.

Prodonov does most of her business online but also sells at boutiques, festivals and street fairs throughout the country and Europe. She estimates that she has sold 2,000 bags since starting the company in 2002.

And the recent trend of green bags has brought "a bit of a biz increase but that also brings more competition from big corporations that a small company like me can't keep up with," said Prodonov, who also dabbles in corporate law.

"In the long run, it is still making our society more aware of green buying so that is good," she said.

Stuckey is an example of that.

"I am trying to 'go green' as they say and try to help make a difference," Stuckey said. "I don't consider myself a green person because I am wasteful and I've been reading and hearing about so many people 'going green' that I am trying to do a little more, like recycling and purchasing fluorescent light bulbs."