The following article is an updated version of one I wrote several years ago. It has had over 30,000 readers in the last 3 months and has prompted hundreds of comments and lively feedback. I do hope you’ll find it interesting and feel compelled to share your thoughts and insights.
Keep in mind, this is an objective, broad look at the debate of paper vs. plastic grocery bags. Is it a complete, scientific assessment? No. However, it’s a good start, filled with facts and one that I hope gets you thinking the next time you’re confronted with the choice. Enjoy.
Paper or Plastic? Stupid Question
You step up to the register, the cashier asks if you’ve found everything ok and then hits you with the inevitable question: Paper or plastic? I hope the answer would be “No thanks – I brought my own”.
Let’s just pretend it’s one of those rare days when you’re caught without your reusable bags (it’s ok – I’ve been guilty of this a time or two) and you have to choose – will it be paper or plastic? How do you decide?
I realize this is a hotly debated topic and my goal is to simply point out the pros and cons of each option. Let’s face it – paper and plastic are both taxing to the environment. Once you’ve read the information below, I hope you’ll feel more confident in your decision.
The Plastic Bag – a bit of history
These days, most plastic bags are made from a type of plastic called polyethylene. 80% of polyethylene is produced from natural gas – an abundant, yet non-renewable resource. Polyethylene, as a raw material, can be manipulated into any shape, size, form or color. It’s watertight and can made UV resistant. It can be printed on and reused many, many times. In many cases, it can be recycled but is not considered “cradle to cradle” meaning it cannot be recycled over and over nor returned to an organic state.
According to a timeline published by plasticsindustry.org, the first plastic bags were baggies and sandwich bags on a roll introduced in 1957. The industry continued to grow and between 1974-1975 retail giants such as Sears, J.C. Penney, Federated and Allied adopted plastic bags for store merchandise. When did the plastic grocery bag hit the market? That would be 1977, the year Jimmy Carter was sworn in as our 39th President, Star Wars hit the theatre and Apple Computer was incorporated.
In 1996 it was estimated that 4 out of 5 grocery bags used were plastic.
Where does plastic go when thrown away?
2005 EPA research shows that approximately 5.2% of plastic bags are recycled. I was a tad disappointed to hear that number too. On the bright side, the number of pounds of plastic bags recovered according to plasticbagrecycling.org is a 24% increase in 2006 over that of 2005. This is based on a report produced by the American Chemistry Council. So, while the overall number is abysmally small, it is on the rise.
Plastic bags can be melted and reformed into products such as plastic lumber used on decks, fence material, park benches and other industrial and residential goods.
Where do the other 94.8% that aren’t recycled go? They typically end up in your local landfill. How long until they break down? No one really knows but we can speculate. The SPI (the plastic industries trade organization) openly admits on its website that most plastics don’t biodegrade – that’s the process of breaking down completely into organic material which is then assimilated back into the soil. Most plastic will photo-degrade. This means, over time and when exposed to ultraviolet rays from sunlight, the plastic material’s chemical “chain” starts to break down resulting in microscopic particles that mix in with the soil (more on this later). How long that process takes is not clear.
Plastic’s Impact:
Plastic, in any form, has only been around a little more than half a century. Even the most conservative scientists believe it will take at least several hundred years for plastic to photo-degrade when exposed to the correct conditions. I’ve heard the range debated somewhere between 500-1000 years. Whatever the number, plastic experts agree that it’s a long, long time and we have not had any first hand evidence of its decomposition. Most likely, every single piece of plastic created is still here on this planet. That’s a lot of plastic.
Let’s take a quick look at the energy consumed and pollution potential of the plastic bag. According to Boustead Consulting & Assoc. Ltd who produced a recent report for the Progressive Bag Alliance, polyethylene uses less energy, oil and water (potable) than paper bags made with 30% recycled fibers. Their study also shows that plastic grocery bags emit fewer greenhouse gases and less solid waste.
This report also admits that reusable bags may be the preferred alternative (see, told ya!) but points out that most people don’t remember to bring them. Ahhh…that may be true, but I believe that people are smarter than that and when they understand the value associated with bringing their own bags, they’ll remember. But I digress….
Plastic not being recycled can be burned yielding roughly 10,000 to 20,000 btu per pound, most of which can be used to create electricity. This can help to reduce the overall sulfur emissions from coal.
The burning of plastics has its cons. Inks and additives found in plastic can create dioxins when burned as well as emit heavy metals into the air. I must note that the plastics industry claims that more and more manufacturers now use water based inks. However, the ash itself is toxic and needs to be disposed of in toxic waste dumps. Despite these ink improvements, do you believe the continued burning of plastics for energy use justifies the continued consumption of limited natural resources?
Plastic also impacts the environment through landfills. Plastic does not readily degrade in a landfill, hence, your yogurt container will be there for centuries. Biodegradable plastic is really non-existent. Biodegradable plastic is typically made from wood fibers mixed with plastic. When the bag is disposed of, the wood fibers break down leaving millions of tiny plastic pieces to mix in with the soil. There are newer, compostable plastics derived from plant material on the market but those are not the focus of this piece.
I take issue with these microscopic particles that mix in with the soil. One could reasonably argue that we wouldn’t know these particles existed in the soil and that they wouldn’t affect the growth of plants. Fair enough. Personally, I hold the belief that healthy soil equals healthy food. Adding plastic to the mix seems to go against nature. However, my greatest concern is the potential effect on animals and aquatic life who can’t discern between digestible particles and these microscopic plastic bits that their systems do not accept as food (this is assuming most animals don’t wash their veggies like we do). These particles will either poison animals and aquatic life or become part of their system. These animals are then ingested by larger prey, so on and so forth, until it may very well end up on your dinner plate or at the local sushi bar. I’ll pass, thank you very much.
An argument can be made that plastic decreases landfill mass. Plastics, as a whole, make up 18% of waste by volume and 7% by weight (plastic bags themselves are light and take up very little space). If plastic were to be replaced by other materials, trash weight would increase by 150%, packaging would weigh 300% more and energy consumed by the industry would increase by 100%.
Then again, plastic bags are a significant source of litter all over the world. Unlike a paper bag, that will biodegrade quickly when exposed to the elements, the lowly plastic bag will simply soar with the wind until it becomes entangled in a tree or dangles from a shrub in your flower bed. Nice.
The Origin of Paper Bags:
Paper comes from trees – and lots of them.
The paper grocery bag is an American innovation and was designed in 1883. It’s made from kraft paper – the word ‘kraft’ coming from the German language meaning ’strong’. Kraft paper is known for its strength and course texture. It’s strength lends to its reusability.
According to the American Forest & Paper Association, 2007 marked an all-time high of 56% for the recycling of paper consumed in the U.S. Curbside paper collection is easy and readily available in most parts of the country. While I applaud the consumer and the industry for reaching this goal and beyond (the industries goal is 60% by 2012) I’d like to point out that the manufacturing of paper products, like plastic, consumes natural resources and creates pollution. As a matter of fact, the production of a paper bag consumes 1 gallon of water (yep, per bag) equating to 50 times that of plastic bags. Yikes!
How does a paper bag get from forest to grocery store? Trees are found, marked and felled. Machinery is then used to remove the logs from the forest floor – whether by logging or, in more remote areas, helicopters.
Machinery requires fossil fuels and roads (which destroy habitat) thereby creating stress on the forests’ inhabitants (even logging a small area has a large impact on the entire ecological chain in surrounding areas).
Trees must dry at least three years before they can be used to make paper. Once aged, machinery is used to strip the bark, which is then chipped into 1 inch squares and cooked under tremendous heat and pressure. This wood stew is then ‘digested’ with a limestone and sulfurous acid for eight hours. The steam and moisture is vented to the outside atmosphere, and the original wood becomes pulp. It takes approximately three tons of wood chips to make one ton of pulp.
The pulp is then washed and bleached, both stages requiring thousands of gallons of clean water. Coloring is added to more water, and is then combined in a ratio of 1 part pulp to 400 parts water to make paper. The pulp/water mixture is dumped onto a web of bronze wires, the water showers through, leaving the pulp to dry. This final product is then rolled into paper.
Whew! What a lot of resources to just make the paper. We must include all of the chemicals, electricity, and fossil fuels used in the shipment of this raw material and in the production and shipment of a finished paper bag.
Where does a paper bag end its useful life?
Paper, when thrown away, can either be recycled or end up in the landfill. If it finds its way to the landfill, over time (and usually many, many, many years) it will break down into organic material. Paper bags can also be recycled in your yard (used as an effective weed barrier under top soil) and it will break down much faster. If it’s lucky enough to be recycled, the following process occurs:
The paper must be returned to pulp. This is done by the use of several different chemicals including sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium silicate. These chemicals bleach and spread out the pulp fibers. These fibers are then run through cleaning and screening sequences that remove any contaminants. The pulp must then be washed with clean water to remove ink particles that were removed from the paper by the chemical process. Flotation is a common way to remove ink. The pulp is submerged in clean water and heated. The ink attaches to air bubbles, which must then be removed before they break and let the ink float back to the pulp.
Most recycling centers treat the water they use to remove contaminants. Screens and mechanical cleaners are the typical methods used. Another, more environmentally friendly method is called ’sludge handling’. Sludge is composed of water, inks, pigments and small particles of waste. The materials are separated and cleaned. By including this process, it reduces any waste that may have to be taken to the landfill. These waste materials can be used in bricks, fertilizers and other useful products.
Other uses for paper bags:<br>
A well-packed, single, grocery-size paper bag can hold the same volume of loot as 4 plastic bags. They hold a lot. Reuse them as trash can liners, book covers, or other craft projects. They also make great weed barriers (put down over weeds and cover with mulch) and eventually break down and naturally compost. Did you know paper bags can be composted (provided they don’t have a lot of printing on them)? Throw them straight into the compost pile (tear into small pieces for best results) or fill with yard green waste and toss straight into your compost pile.
Conclusion
Both paper and plastic bags consume large amounts of natural resources and the majority will eventually end up in the landfill. Both bags can be recycled to some extent and can be utilized around the house. I’ve read several studies comparing the two choices and none of them agree. Some feel plastic is the better overall choice, others paper. It’s really tough to say. Paper may consume more resources to produce, however, it is also more recyclable than plastic if you include the fact that paper can be composted and plastic bags cannot.
In my opinion, neither one is the winner. the best choice overall is to use a reusable bag. Many are made from recycled materials such as the new ChicoBag rePETe bag or natural materials such as our cotton string bags. Depending on the style, they’ll hold from 25-40lbs and last for years. Most can be machine washed and can be kept in the car, glove compartment, purse or backpack. If your local supermarket gives you 5 cents a bag every time you use it, and you buy groceries once a week, it’ll pay for itself in about a year and a half. Most bags last for 3-10 years and beyond (I still have my original string bags that are over 10 years old and going strong). Many countries around the globe and many cities here in the US are banning the use of plastic bags at checkout or are charging for them. This makes the adoption of reusable bags are an even smarter choice.
Taking all the above information into consideration, feel confident that you’re making an informed decision the next time you’re at the grocery store. The most important thing to remember is to utilize every possible use for both the plastic and paper bags you do end up with to lengthen their life and minimize the impact on both the environment and our natural resources.
Tags: paper bags, plastic bags, reusable bags
I think we’re going to have a tough time convincing people that using re-usable bags is a good thing to do if we make the claim that plastics are a government conspiracy. Many people will immediately turn off if the issue becomes political and “us vs. them”.
Lets try to keep it a little more simplistic. Reusing a paper bag is great. The point is reuse.
I agree, Eric.
Jen, I hear where you’re coming from. However, plastic has its place. It’s invention has provided amazing advancements in healthcare to name just one industry. Plastic itself is a fantastic material – the key is to use it smartly. Creating the ‘us vs. them’ mentality is not productive. It only fuels the fire. Let’s stay committed to leading by example and following the guidelines of reduce, reuse and recycle.
May be plastic isn’t all that bad. Please research this name: Daniel Burd .
[...] Another great article suggests further proves that there is no consensus on the issue: [...]
If grociery stores would use reusable cloth bags and put out baskets in the stores for people to return them, we would have a paper vs. plastic problem because they wouldn’t be being used at all.
I work at a grocery store and alot of people reuse the plastic bags more than they reuse the paper and canvus bags.
We think that clothe bags are always good, but you have to take into consideration that alot of people aren’t going to take the time to purchase or re-use cloth bags. If we had to choose between plastic or paper though, i would say plastic all the way. The more paper bags you use, the more tree’s you are cutting down out of our envirionment, that’s less air we have to breath! And more people are familiar with recycling plastic over paper, so i’m sure alot more of theplastic grocery bags get recycled, where as paper bags get thrown away and wasted. So plastic, but Cloth should be more widely promoted and advertised. Maybe more people would come around then.
paper and plastic are both bad choices and transition between those and cloth bags would be hard but we need to do it.
“We need to do it”. That’s exactly correct. Lets keep educating people about the issue. The more we put this issue in front of people, the more they will realize it IS an issue and think about it. If a few people change to reusable bags this week and then a few more do it next week, pretty soon we’re all doing it. We really need to stop justifying how either paper or plastic is better or worse than the other. They’re both terrible choices and the fact that someone takes the time to think which they should choose means they have the choice to reuse their own bag. Come on folks, it really isn’t that difficult to bring your own bag. Its a habit change which is the hard part. But if you start to change, it won’t take you long to make it the way you do things. Thanks and keep up the good work.
If grociery stores would use cloth bags and put baskets out in the stores we woudn’t have a “paper or plastic” problem because we wouldn’t be using them.
I myself believe that plastics are better. Burn it, it disappears. Burn paper, you’re left with ashes that can be airborned and a superior danger to those with asthma or allergies resulting in even more worst cases. Cutting trees mean less oxygen and help that solves the CO2 -> O2 case. That’s just my opinion. Plastics are better. Poof; gone. Hell, it’s going to have a lot of house, forest, cars, etc fires anyway. Does burning even matter anymore?
Shawn, go do some more research. Does burning even matter anymore? Are you serious?
Burning plastic doesn’t leave ‘nothing’. It leaves carbon dioxide among many other hazardous compounds. You’re burning something that didn’t need to be made in the first place and now you have to find something to do with it to dispose of it. That’s the entire problem with our whole consumption based society. We don’t think about what we’re going to do with a product until its too late and then we have to burn or landfill it. Very bad policy which will “burn” us all in the end.
I work at a grocery store and 1 paper bag CANNOT hold as much as 4 plastic bags.
Depends on what you pack in it. Hey, someone wanna make a video and show how it can be done?
Oh yeah. We’ll my reusable bags can hold plenty and I get a nickel back for each one.
The thing that I don’t get is that with all the advances in plastic, with the compostable types being made even as this article is being written, which the author points out but chooses to avoid, because obviously the future isn’t what we’re all worried about here. That aside, the way that current bags break down wasn’t explained properly, It’s not just ultravoilet rays, It’s heat and pressure which is generally abundant in landfills. That being said, when I get home from the grocery store, I put all of my plastic bags in one bag and stuff them somewhere out of sight, I then use them as garbage bags. Now, what do most people use for garbage bags? Those thick monstrosity’s that company’s like Glad produce. Those plastics are the killers, the thick ridged bags that are completely unnecessary if you know what you’re doing. Those are the ones that will never break down.
Now, I didn’t read the whole article, but for me, I never use paper bags, they have no reuse value to me. Once used they’re simply not in the same shape anymore and are basically garbage. I don’t know a single person who uses paper bags, and I would imagine that most of the paper bags get mixed in with garbage and not used properly. That, which is personal recycling imo, pales in comparison to what happens at a larger level. Recycling of paper actually uses more resources than creating new paper, except you obviously don’t need to cut new trees down. We put more toxic emmisions into the air recycling paper than we do either making paper or recycling plastic. And as I’ve pointed out the personal recycling of plastic is a lot more common then the personal recycling of paper.
I’m kind of pissed off here though, because so much misinformation is floating around. Right now the city I’m living in, the largest grocery store chain is completely removing plastic bags from its stores. The thing is that they’re keeping paper bags, which are worse for our environment then paper, so if the issue is truely our environment and not political bullshit then why isn’t paper removed? You know why? Because public opinion is so daft that people don’t realize that Paper is as bad if not worse than plastic.
You’ll hear arguements for every side, but taking everything I know into consideration I would say either ban plastic and paper bags and force people to use canvas/reusable bags or don’t do it at all.
Thrifty Foods, Victoria BC. Not exactly political bullshit as I said, but it’s definitely a public relations stab at staying green.
Also I packed groceries at a grocery store as well and honestly, I can’t imagine what or how you’d be packing a paper bag in order to fill four, or even three plastic bags. You would need a really good mix of solid but not too heavy stuff, with a good amount of light fluffy stuff… Like… Four bags of plastic grocerys can weigh a lot, and those paper bags can’t handle THAT much. I’d say three bags tops. comfortably two, especially for the elderly.
The trees used for paper bags can be replanted. I own land with timber and the trees have to be managed. Trees have to be thinned. Trees get old and can become diseased or bug infested. Cutting trees is a natural process. The cut trees can be replaced with new trees. Trees are a renewable resource! Just so you’ll know…I recycle everything! And yes, I do take reusable bags to the grocery store…if nothing else, I bring the plastic bags from a previous shopping trip and reuse them. I do keep a few plastic bags in my canvas bag for meat…you know it can leak and that brings up a new problem!
FYI…I’m not sure plastic vs paper is our biggest problem…most of us are wasteful and don’t conserve anything like we should. Recycling is a start, however!
I think many people are missing the point. We as a society create objects that don’t need to be created (such as plastic and paper bags). These items like all created products take energy to create and transport. So if we create a product that is intended to be wasted, we are wasting the energy used to create and transport it. As well as the energy used to manage the waste in the end. So if we don’t use single use items like bags, we are saving all of that energy. Clearly there is energy consumed to create and transport reusable items as well, but that energy is spread out over a much longer time period than for single use items.
And I’m not sure when cutting trees became a natural process. Woodlands don’t need managed. Leave it alone and it will do just fine. Woodlands have managed themselves for millennia and our introduction to the process has only screwed up the process.
And Cindy is right. Single use bags aren’t our biggest issue. The reason we are picking on them is that they are omnipresent in our society, everyone uses them, and by bringing people’s attention to this one seemingly small issue, we can also bring their attention to the larger issues.
Hello, in New Zealand we have tree farms. We specifically grow tress for the purpose of making homes, boxes, paper bags, etc, etc. We don’t go stripping forests, like is being suggested in 3 articles I have read tonight. This part of the argument I find very emotive. Then we reuse the same land to grow more trees, and aroudn the cycle goes. Also, while Paper and Plastic may be similar in some aspects of this argument, consider the environmental impact plastic has on animals and sea creatures. I haven’t seen a seal with a paper bag caught around its neck. I don’t see paper rubbish the way I see plastic rubbish.
Why did one of the emails make the argument about plastic being useful for other things like medical equpment. Whats that got to do with this debat?
another thing that can really help save the environment (and your local economy) is to quit shopping in grocery stores! as often as possible buy locally grown and farmed foods at a farmers market! you wont get kicked out of one of those for bringing a backpack either!
WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
hippies rule!
penguins rock!
peace around the world!
I second that! However, I still shop the grocery store albeit for fewer items. I also look for local goods offered in the stores to help me keep purchase as many local and/or regional items as possible. It’s all about balance. Thanks for posting Leeleelee!
I agree with all of you. Recycling is pointless, why waste our time? I’d rather be eating a big greasy burger. I spill oil in the ocean like it’s my job. When I use paper bags, I don’t recycle. I just use them to burn homeless people’s box’s.
would like to know what the differance between plastic shopping bags and garbage can liners. why is one dangerous and not the other.?
Hi Rita
If you are referring to plastic garbage bags, I put them in the same category as plastic shopping bags. Designed for one use and disposed of. I’m a big fan of the biobag garbage bags made from GMO free plant based materials. While they probably won’t break down in a landfill very fast (note: not much breaks down in a landfill) biobags are made from renewable materials and are compostable when given the opportunity to break down. The technology is improving making them more durable and suitable for most applications. Try ‘em!
I would argue that plastic bags are almost unnecessary if you are reducing your waste overall. If you think about it, most of the need for plastic trash bags is based on wet waste. Mostly food waste. Food waste shouldn’t be in your trash anyway. It should be composted. Of course each of us does create some waste and in some cases, that waste is easier (read “more convenient”) to encase in a plastic bag. Is there some reason we can’t cut down on our wet waste, eliminate the plastic trash bag, and if the trash can needs a little cleaning, then hit it with some water from your rain barrel? Just thinking outside the bag here.
Hi Eric
Good point. Most of us can reduce our overall waste by quite a bit if we simply reduce the amount of packaging we buy (another argument for buying bulk), recycle and compost. The challenge is that in many cities, residents are required to place their trash in a plastic bag to reduce the mess, odor and rodent infestation. This is especially true in metropolitan areas and apartment dwellers. However, this is where BioBags come in – they can perform the necessary task of keeping trash contained, while minimizing the use of natural resources (and non-renewable resources). I’d love to see apartments have industrial composters in-house with the finished compost available to residents free of charge and using it on the grounds and local neighborhood parks to keep them healthy and beautiful. Thoughts? Other solutions?
Albertans should take cue’s from other provinces. In Nova Scotia along with with curbside recycling they have bins for composting. This greatly reduces the amount of household garbage going to to landfills. As well grocery stores should have a area where customers can pick up boxes from which goods are delivered. This idea comes from Food Basics grocery stores in Ontario where they charge 5 cents per plastic bag but provide numerous boxes for customers carry out. Boxes which in turn can be recycled and stay out of the landfills.
PEOPLE PLEEEASE USE PAPER OVER PLASTIC!!! PAPER IS RECYCABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I use reusable bags but my question is Are we not creating yet another market for bags by mass producing those $.99-$1.99 reusable bags when everyone has a bag at home and what sort of resources are we using there?
Do your research on the production of reusable bags. They can be made from recycled materials and the whole point is to reuse them many, many times. One reusable bag should last for at least a couple of years with decent care. Most of mine look like they did when I first got them.
And Trevor, while you are correct about paper being recyclable, it is generally not recycled. Paper bags are generally used for trash bags and hit the landfill. Again the point is to reuse. Reuse a paper bag. Reuse a plastic bag. Reuse your backpack. Don’t take a bag at all.
I love the paper vs. plastic argument. Which one is better? If you had your choice of a punch in the nose or a kick in the shin, which one is better? Same answer. Neither.
Bring your own.
Don’t forget- It’s recommended that reusable bags are washed after every use otherwise they end up contaminated with elevated levels of bacteria and mold.
I know most people don’t do that but its still a consideration.
i feel as if it doesnt matter wat to use but i would prefer to use reusable. because both paper && plastic bags are affecting out community because f the burning && the reusung that you have to do.
i would just say everyone needs to go out and buy a reusable shopping bag && stop being so cheap..
den we wouldnt be having these problems.
I’ve used canvas reusable bags for groceries for at least 15 years. Years ago other countries did not provide bags and one simply provided one’s own bags. I store my bags in the car so I don’t have to remember to take them from home. I always have them with me that way. Good heavens, it’s not difficult and takes no time.
We need to recycle plastic lets do 5 cents a bag just like glass bottles if platic is made right it is 100 percent reusable we could save a million trees say no to paper we also could use hemp as a real recycle bags we us them then we can smoke them when we are done and then eat all the food we just bought.
I am a fan of using reusable grocery bags and I recycle and compost and all that. My only problem is that I used to use my plastic grocery bags in my kitchen garbage can and to clean the kitty litter etc. Now that I use reusable I no longer have anything to use for things. Any suggestions????
Use Paper bags instead of plastics.
Pls. people…!
Let’s join them in preserving the Earth…
Isipin natin yung next generation…!
I’ve noticed that cashiers at grocery stores in Ontario are really slow in helping me pack my reusable bags. I’m wondering if this is a strategy the stores are adopting ..just to encourage ppl to pay for that little luxury? and profit at the same time?
wow! you have a lot of people viewing your site! thats amazing! I have just started a blog about going green, my sister and I have done some things to get started and the information you have about the paper or plastic topic is amazing. I just wrote a small post on paper or plastic in stores and I’m going to write more about it know that I have even more facts. Thanks I never thought about what it takes to even make paper bags.
paper bag more eco friendly that for sure..
Hi Lisa
I’m a big fan of the BioBag compostable trash bags. Greenfeet offers a huge selection of bags, liners and all in different sizes. Here’s a link for you to get started. http://www.greenfeet.com/search.asp?from=&FrmSearchWords=&SearchWord=biobag
They work very well. The one caveat is I don’t put “wet” items in there such as liquids because if left for a long time, the bag will start to break down. They also don’t do well overstuffed. I fill mine full, but overstuffed they aren’t as strong as the Seventh Generation recycled trash bags so choose the ones that are right for you! Here’s a link for the Seventh Generation bags: http://www.greenfeet.com/itemdesc.asp?kw=Tall-Recycled-Kitchen-Garbage-Bags-&ic=5505-00015-0000&eq=
Thanks for the question!
I happen to agree with you Dane – however, I really believe we should work to use as few paper bags as possible and focus on those reusable bags. I promise it’s a habit that’s not that hard to form.
That’s an interesting observation. Have you watched the same cashier packing paper or plastic? It may be that the reusables are a bit awkward to fill as well. I’ve watched cashiers struggle with mine. I usually dive in and give them tips. Most are thrilled with my tips – I’ve only had one growl at me. I growled back.
Thanks Sue. I look forward to reading your blog and let’s stay in touch!
Well, hello there Paper Bag Indonesia.
I’d love to hear your side of the story. What is your compelling reason for choosing paper over plastic?
This is a great post. Really informative. Will share with my colleagues. Keep up the great work
since I knew the harm of plastic bag ,I ask myself to stop the stupid behaior