DALLAS (March 19, 2008) — In honor of Earth Day 2008, Half Price Books, the nation's largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain, is inviting its customers and other friends of the environment to determine how monies set aside from its current "B(eco)me Bagless" philanthropic project will be earmarked.

Five environmental organizations have been selected from several dozen nominated by Half Price Books employees, including The Conservation Fund, Habitat for Humanity, the Natural Resource Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy, and the Sierra Club Foundation. Visitors to www.halfpricebooks.com can cast a vote for their favorite charity once each day through April 22.

The "B(eco)me Bagless" project is a key component of BecomeGreen.org, the company's environmental education initiative. "B(eco)me Bagless" encourages Half Price Books shoppers to decline plastic bags for their purchases or to bring their own reusable bags instead. During the project, which began in November, 2007, the company is setting aside five cents for every shopping bag refused in its 100 stores nationwide and is earmarking the proceeds for BecomeGreen.org. The project has already set aside $25,000, representing a half-million customers who refused a plastic bag at Half Price Books.

"Using plastic bags is shockingly wasteful — 12 million barrels of oil a year are used to make plastic bags just for the U.S. market. It takes as much petroleum to make 14 plastic bags as it does to drive a car one mile," Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive vice president of Half Price Books said. "The 'B(eco)me Bagless' campaign helps increase our awareness of how great an impact our everyday shopping habits have on our environment, and how even the smallest changes can have an enormous positive effect."

Half Price Books has long been a supporter of the environment, a commitment begun by founders Pat Anderson and Ken Gjemre more than 36 years ago. The company includes "be kind to the environment" in its official mission statement.