Paper or Plastic

 

I used to hear this phrase all the time when I was younger, but now we are lucky if the store we are shopping at even has paper bags.

 

So what really IS better? Is paper really a better choice over plastic? You might be surprised to find out. Here’s a quick video from NBC Nightly News about Paper or Plastic.

 

A breakdown of bag facts

 

Plastic bags

• Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide.
• Plastics do NOT biodegrade. Rather, they photodegrade, a process in which sunlight breaks down plastic into smaller and smaller pieces.
• It can take up to 1,000 years for a high-density polyethylene plastic bag to break down in the environment.
• Plastic bags are on the top 10 list of most common trash items along the American coastline (both on land and in the water).
   

Paper bags

• Paper bags generate 70 percent more air pollutants and 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags.
• 2,000 plastic bags weigh 30 pounds, 2,000 paper bags weigh 280 pounds. The latter takes up a lot more landfill space.
• It takes 91 percent less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than it takes to recycle a pound of paper. It takes more than four times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to manufacture a plastic bag.
  

Sources: reusablebags.com, NRDC and International Coastal Cleanup 2005 Report from the Ocean Conservancy

 

Top Facts - Environmental Impact of Plastic Bags

• Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.
• Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.
• As part of Clean Up Australia Day, in one day nearly 500,000 plastic bags were collected.
• Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting bags and using them to weave hats, and even bags. According to the BBC, one group harvests 30,000 per month.
• According to David Barnes, a marine scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, plastic bags have gone “from being rare in the late 80s and early 90s to being almost everywhere from Spitsbergen 780 North [latitude] to Falklands 510 South [latitude].
• Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.

Source: ReusableBag.com

 

Consider this - many cities are banning or planning to ban plastic bags. Seattle is currently one of those cities considering a 20 cent green fee on all plastic bags. While Plastic is more convenient and yes, can be shipped easier than paper, in the long run it could cost you to use it! I know IKEA already charges to use plastic bags; makes you think twice before choosing plastic!

 

Many will argue that you can recycle plastic bags so what’s the big deal? Well in reality you can’t and shouldn’t throw your plastic bags into your recycling bin. Plastic bags can clog up the machines that separate our recyclable materials and make for a big headache unless you are recycling them properly at plastic bag recycling drop offs like many grocery stores have. Keep in mind though that most grocery stores that recycle plastic bags prefer you recycle only their bags; not other retailers. This makes it easier for that retailer to recycle the plastic because not all plastic bags are created alike.

 

So both paper and plastic have their downsides and while paper might seem like the superior choice when someone asks you Paper or Plastic? Say neither, I brought my own bag.

 

A reusable cloth bag has the potential to eliminate the tons of paper or plastic waste in the course of its lifetime.  Plus in some stores you can actually save money by using them! Some stores will off you a 5 cent refund for every bag you use which means you could pay for your cloth bag in a matter of a few grocery trips. Most cloth bags at the stores run about $1. Cloth bags will also hold more then a traditional bag will. I prefer the ones with a large bottom as they hold more and are sturdier.

 

Personally, I have a ton of cloth bags now and feel guilty when I don’t bring one or have one on me. Many people complain that they will forget to bring them into the store when they do go shopping, but like remembering to bring things like coupons, bags will become a habit after awhile as well.

 

I encourage you to BYOB (Bring you own Bag) when you shop. It takes some getting used too, but in the long run you’ll help the Earth.

 

For great Cloth bag choices check out reusablebags.com and ecobags.com.

 

Or better yet, use bags you already have. Those mesh beach bags or that backpack make great bags to use for shopping trips! This is an easy change for anyone to do! Remember to BYOB and help change the world at the same time!