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
They claim 14 weeks to biodegrade. Have you done any testing or any background checking on the carbon footprint used to make PLA?I would recommend contacting manufacturers to find out the most up to date data.I do sell, but don’t love the non-woven polypropylene bags “eco-bags” that everyone is using and selling at the grocery stores.
Paper and trees are renewable resources. Like corn or beans that we plant, consume, and re-plant. Americans keep planting trees and we keep making paper. It’s nice to know that these jobs remain in the US. As for the water, it is not consumed, it is simply used. I use water to wash with too. It does not go away to the moon after I use it. I don’t support using chinese-made plastic or “re-useable” bags made in china under, virtually, slave labor. I’m not fooled to imagine that fosil fuels are the only power resource used to make paper…just like I’m not fooled to believe there are NO fosil fuels used to make the plastic or fabric bags. This entire argument is always tilted in the direction of the opinions of the person talking…yes, like me. But, the real answer is that we do our best to reduce (first), re-use (next), and recycle (last). At the same time, we need to consider the best way to produce and consume with the least impact on our economy and the environment. The autor makes good points but this argument is often over-simplified.
Great feedback! Yes, it can be oversimplified and in the end, the best thing is to reduce and reuse as much as possible! Have you ever made reusable bags out of old t-shirts? It’s pretty nifty. We have a fan who posted instructions on our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/greenfeet
You made some good points there. I did a search on the subject and found most people will approve with your blog.
Gotta appreaciate this article “thumbsup”
People,
what is wrong with you? All these arguments are only about advantage from ANTHROPOCENTRIC perspective! Why nobody is arguing that TREES ARE ALIVE and you are KILLING them to get your paper! It is proven that they feel pain. They are also MAIN SOURCE OF OXYGEN (if getting back to selfishness) what is even more important for you as well. So are you exchanging possibility to breath into convenience to have your “happy meal” delivered to your house? Wake up!!!
P.S. article is great!
Thanks for the input (and for reading) @As Required!
This entire argument is always tilted in the direction of the opinions of the person talking…yes, like me.it can be oversimplified and in the end, the best thing is to reduce and reuse as much as possible.
Why are you not discussing the problems with cloth reusable bags? These are almost always made in China or India by workers who are abused and get only pennies for their hard work. In addition, by carrying reusable bags, you are taking jobs away from Americans which further weakens our country and the economy. I use paper bags, which I then recycle…rather than adding to a system that encourages labor abuse.
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This is pretty insightful post about paper and plastic. This article is really good and full of information. i would go with paper than plastic.
Hi Gary
While I understand your concern, there are many reusable bag companies that ensure fair labor standards. There are American companies making reusable bags as well so do seek them out! Oh, and don’t think all paper bags are made domestically – many are imported from overseas as well. I recommend purchasing responsibly made reusables and choosing paper over plastic if you find yourself without them. Thank you for taking time to respond!
Thanks for all the details!
I think awareness is very important when it comes to reducing waste. A lot of us don’t know what will happen to the waste that we throw away each day. For me, I’m always debating which one to use to carry the trash.
I invited a waste and recycling guest speaker to speak to my students next week; I’ll see what she says about paper and plastic bags.
By the way, has anyone seen Astra Taylor’s film or read the book “Examined Life: Excursions With Contemporary Thinkers”? There’s an interview with Slavoj Zizek in this film and book. He provides an interesting insight on waste by taking the viewers and readers to a landfill and a waste processing plant. Recommended!
Hello! Thank you for this insightful article. I just used it for my Biology paper. Keep up the good work on helping others be more aware of their own carbon footprint!!
@Annet Thank you for the comment! I have not seen Astra Taylor’s film or read the book you recommended but will do so! Keep me posted on what your guest speaker says. Technology is changing rapidly so I’m sure I’ll have to update this article soon to keep information current!
this thing really helped me with my investigatory project
Great article. My only problem is the ban on plastic in general as the approach. This law just went into effect in my area and so plastic bags are no longer offered and we are charged for each paper bag (as if the paper bags are somehow better). Once again we are being penalized by the government into compliance instead of being offered incentives for bringing in reusable bags. Times are tough, groceries are going up in price. Why not give the consumer a break and at the same time help the environment?
@Tracy. I whole heartedly agree. Unfortunately, the mindset of most consumers is not the same as yours or mine. Many people won’t make a change unless it hits them where it hurts and that’s usually the wallet. It’s a shame that so many of us are penalized for the behavior of a few. The good news is, if you bring your reusables, then you won’t be charged for the paper and you will probably get a discount for bringing your reusable bag (my grocery store here in CA gives me a nickel rebate for every bag I bring.). Thanks for reading and for your reply!
@paper_not_plastic. Trees are not renewable resources like corn and beans. Show me a tree that matures in 90 days. Show me a forest that is lush and home to many species a year after it is cut down. Forests are not like farms. If we made paper from farm products, that would be one thing, but note that every year, farmers have to replenish the soil (both organic and commercial). Who replenishes the forests? Nobody. By the third or fourth growth, you’ve only accomplished an indirect soil strip mining project.
Howdy! Thanks for leaving your thoughts on the subject. There are sustainably managed fast growth forests for paper production around the country. And, as the article clearly states, I advocate for reusables over paper or plastic ever time. Cheers!
Howdy! Thanks for leaving your thoughts on the subject. There are sustainably managed fast growth forests for paper production around the country
I was able to use this website as a source for a school project.
I really enjoy reading this blog. It is well thought out and informative. Thanks
Wow! It’s hard to believe so much thought could go into paper v. plastic, but it does. Bring your own bag and you don’t have to choose and are doing the best thing for Mother Earth.
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Thanks for all the great info!!! This really helped me write a paper and understand, the pros and cons of common household items that are available to us.
dog bad breath…
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Excellent! This is the info which I’ve been looking for so long. Thanks for posting. I really need it.
http://physictourism.com/
As Required, you’re an idiot.
“They are also MAIN SOURCE OF OXYGEN (if getting back to selfishness) what is even more important for you as well.”
Check your facts first, because last time I checked the ocean is our main source of oxygen, not theses ‘sentient’ trees.
As Required, you’re an idiot.
“They are also MAIN SOURCE OF OXYGEN (if getting back to selfishness) what is even more important for you as well.”
Check your facts first, because last time I checked the ocean is our main source of oxygen, not these ‘sentient’ trees.
Hi Zack
In reality, free oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere is created through the photosynthesis of plants. According to WiseGeek “Photosynthesis accounts for 98% of the world’s atmospheric oxygen, while the breakup of water molecules by ultraviolet radiation composes the other 1-2%.” Oceanic plankton does help in that photosynthesis production. There is debate among scientists whether the plant life in the ocean produces 1/3 or 1/2 of the oxygen on the planet.
essays…
[...]Paper vs. Plastic – The Shopping Bag Debate « Greenfeet Blog[...]…
Dear person,
“what is wrong with you? All these arguments are only about advantage from ANTHROPOCENTRIC perspective! Why nobody is arguing that TREES ARE ALIVE and you are KILLING them to get your paper! It is proven that they feel pain. They are also MAIN SOURCE OF OXYGEN (if getting back to selfishness) what is even more important for you as well. So are you exchanging possibility to breath into convenience to have your “happy meal” delivered to your house? Wake up!!!”
I must say that writing in captial letters does not get your point across anymore than if the letters were lower case. Also if it has been tested that trees feel pain don’t you think it would have been more highly published, and that more efforts would have gone into preventing this? Also, Trees do not make up the greatest source of oxygen. It is from the algea in the ocean. Look up your facts before you make comments like this.
Thanks.
Hi Jason
I appreciate your response however, algae is NOT the main source of oxygen – trees are. Algae plays a significant role, but it’s all about the carbon sink to which trees are much more effective. The exact proportion is argued among scientists but they all agree trees pull ahead of algae.
I say, let’s focus on reusable bags and work to reduce paper all together. That’s a win-win for people, trees and the planet overall.
I work for the County and see an amazing amount of plastic bag litter in our right-of-ways and around the landfills – unless caught by special fencing, it will stay hung up in trees/bushes “forever” apparently. It’s for this reason that I have to vote for paper (after bringing your own bag – I prefer cotton string). But I still sometimes come home with plastic bags, which I reuse as possible, but… Question: is it “OK” to burn these plastic bags in a fire pit in the back yard to at least reduce them to a little nugget? I tried one recently, and it went well – no conflagration or anything – but I wonder whether the air pollution effects would outweigh the litter benefits if “everyone did it.”
You write: “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.”
The fact that plastics consume less resources and are not ‘biodegradable’ supports the view that plastic is better. Why? Being non-biodegradable, their carbon dioxide is not composted back into the atmosphere. Indeed, burial in landfills keeps that carbon buried. Of course, one has to accept that our added atmospheric CO2 is “bad” for the climate… warming the environment for this to be important.
For me, reusable bags are the way to go, but choose plastic if you forget your cloth. It will keep that carbon from recycling back to atmospheric CO2, using up free oxygen in the process.
Valerie writes (10/17): “Algae play a significant role, but it’s all about the carbon sink to which trees are much more effective.”
Yes, with respect to free oxygen, it is not about the source. It is indeed all about the carbon sink, about keeping the organic carbon ultimately derived from photosynthesis from being recycled by aerobic respiration: CH20 + O2 = CO2 + H2O. But it is the geological long-term sink that is important. The long-term sink is the burial of organic carbon in sediments and sedimentary rocks. Most of the organic carbon buried and preserved in Earth’s sediments was ultimately derived from marine primary productivity, from marine algae, phytoplankton such as cyanobacteria, diatoms, coccolithophores, not trees or grasses.
Artificially stimulating ocean primary productivity might briefly sequester some carbon dioxide and produce some oxygen but it is a short-term process globally because more than 99% of open ocean primary production is rapidly recycled back to CO2 by food chain oxidative respiration and never reaches the bottom to become buried in sediments.
I will respectfully disagree – plastic uses non-renewable resources and ends up in our landfills, is a main source of litter and is damaging to wildlife and aquatic life. I WILL agree with you that reusables are best.
Thank you for your insight and thoughts!
Hi Cathy
I did a bit of research and my answer is “it depends”. If your bag is LDPE or HDPE (low density or high density polypropylene) it’s not considered toxic if you incinerate them. HOWEVER, that does not take into account any inks used to print on the bag – those may be quite toxic. Assuming you have a plain bag, LDPE and HDPE plastics create carbon monoxide and similar to wood, can create air pollution so you are correct in that if everyone burned their bags we’d likely have a pollution problem. Now, many municipalities do incinerate their plastic waste, however, they have sophisticated systems to capture the carbon monoxide. So, I’m not a big fan of this option.
Instead, why not consider creating something useful out of them? Check out this wonderful blog with loads of ideas to recycled plastic bags from practical to a bit funky. If you, or a friend, are crafty, you can make some cool things for yourself or as gifts!
Oh, and keep in mind most grocery stores do collect and recycle their plastic bags. Currently, less than 15% of all plastic bags are recycled so be sure to take proper steps so they don’t end up in the landfill! Thanks for writing!
Valerie…Thank you for your 10/29 response. I certainly agree about reusables and litter, but I think you may have missed my main point? The fact that any organic material, whether biodegradable or non-biodegradable, whether paper or plastic, ends up buried and/or otherwise blocked from being aerobically or anaerobically recycled back to CO2 and CH4 (methane) is a plus. Of course, one must accept that our adding these greenhouse gases to the atmosphere causes climate change and is a bad thing. I assume that you agree with this? If not, then it boils down to litter and damage to wildlife. Either way, reusables are best!
Nice article, but as an avid environmentalist, I can only offer readers this advice: don’t sweat the small stuff! It’s NOT about whether your using paper or plastic bags, but what you’re putting in them! Please read the book “How Bad Are Bananas” for a truly eye-opening look at this. That asparagus in your cart actually contains a few YEARS worth of plastic bags in terms of it’s carbon footprint. How could that be, you ask? Well most of the time that asparagus is flown in from Peru, and anything transported by air has a horrendous carbon impact.
So let’s get serious on this topic. Paper vs. plastic gets such thought and attention, but only matters .001%. We need to focus first on the big three: 1) Housing 2) Transportation (how much you drive & fly) 3) What we eat (where it comes from).
Don’t get me wrong, the rest matters, but just doesn’t deserve nearly the energy that these issues do.
You are absolutely right, Ryan! However, it’s important we start with the small stuff and the waste we create very much matters. Lots of small things equal a very large impact. So, while we have these much larger (and often more challenging) issues to deal with, let’s be sure we are aware of all the little changes we can make – and make them.
Thanks for the insight!
Valerie,
Thank you for a well written and balanced article. I am a career plastics industry professional with a degree in Plastics Engineering. I am also deeply involved with sustainability within the plastics industry and there are great strides being made on a lot of fronts to improve recycling rates. Of course it has to start with people being willing to return things (of course that would preferrably be only after they have reached the end of their useful life – Reuse first!) rather than discard them in the trash. And while I disagree perhaps with your opinion that given the choice of plastic or paper, you would choose paper, you make that based on the facts and how those facts impact your values and beliefs. That is how all of our opinions should be formed but too often the “facts” are misinformation or taken out of context or worse yet, simple fabrications.
So kudos for writing a fact-based article that does not loose the reader in extreme technical detail but gets the main points covered. It is the best I have read on the subject.
Thank you Kevin!
I appreciate your kind words and for your professional approach. I’d love to get more information from you on related subjects. If you can, please contact me with your information at val at greenfeet dot com.
Thanks again!
I would like to know more about paper bags it is viable to start manufacturing of paper bags , as an alternaive to plastic bags which is being prohabited in many countries like India
Kitchen Islands with Breakfast Bar…
[...]Paper vs. Plastic – The Shopping Bag Debate « Greenfeet Blog[...]…
Great article. I agree with Ryan that there are larger issues here. I advocate reducing the amount of trash we use. Make food from scratch from local sources. Skip processed foods that come in plastic. Make a goal to only have enough trash to put your can out every three weeks. Stop buying crap you don’t need! We are consuming our world away! I watched with sadness as people put out perfectly usable furniture/toys, etc during our bulk trash pickup when there are so many charities begging for such items. We live in a throw away society. Also a note about the bags, I see people virtuously bring reusable bags to the checkout right along with a big box of plastic liners for their garbage cans. I don’t use reusable bags because I use the plastic ones to line my garbage. Yes, I have to take it out more often, but I’m using one less bag than I would have.
I love all the detail in the artical and the add-ons in the comments. I think that anyone posting a comment should do reaserch before posting, though. I used some of this info (confirmed, of course) in my compare-contrast paper so it was nice to have people on both sides.
Remember to pay attension to the small things; they add up.
Thanks for writing such a fair artical.
[...] you’d like to read a more in depth article about the decision between paper or plastic, here’s a good one. Categories: Natural Living,Philosophies & Sociology Tags: Philosophy, Super [...]
Valerie,
Thanks for your informative article. I might add a few caviots to the discussion. You are correct in your statement that the paper making process uses many resorces to manufacture paper. However, the process is quite resource and energy efficient in fact. Much of the raw material (wood) comes from residual sourses like lumber and plymill mills who are manfacturing the wood products used to build our houses. This residual material used to be burned in the “teepee” burners attached to every lumber mill across the country. Does your statement “it takes three tons of wood to make 1 ton of pulp” take into consideration the that the non-pulp material isnt waste but the main source of energy in the pulp and paper making process? The organic materials contained in the non-pulp solution (lignin) are burned to produce steam used for generating electricity and paper drying processes. Also, most of the chemicals you mentioned are continually recycled and used over and over again. On another note I have read recently that reusable bags need to be cleaned and sanitized between uses. This repeated cleaning would require using electricity, cleaning products, etc. This should be taken into account in this analysis. Thanks again for your great article.