4 Reasons Paper Bags are Just as Bad As Plastic Bags
It is a common misconception that paper bags are safer to use than plastic bags. Because they decompose much faster than plastic bags, it is assumed that they are more eco-friendly. Recently, ShoptoEarth came across a few factoids that demonstrate that paper bags are just as bad as plastic bags:
- It took 14 millions trees to produce the 10 billion paper shopping bags used by Americans in 1999.
- A plastic bags can be produced with ¼ the energy it takes to make a paper bag.
- Paper bags contribute to 50 times more water pollution and 70% more air pollution than plastic bags.
- Because today’s landfills are overfilled causing a lack of air, light and water it can take just as long for a paper bag to break down as it does the plastic bag.
The best option when it comes to handling your groceries is to use cloth bags. Cloths bags are a sturdy alternative that will help save the environment as well as our quality of life. You can find a variety of fashionable, reusable cloth bags on the ShopToEarth site.
(photo credit: diskychick @ Flickr)
This is such an informative article. I love it! Resuable all the way in my house We make our own it is a fun activity to do with the kids.
My intuition told me this was true for many years and I wondered about the question, “paper or plastic.” Thank you, STE, for not only confirming that they are both harmful to our environment and giving us the information to back that up.
Thanks for the facts! We love the wonderful jute shopping bags from True Green.
By the way – in France, the grocery stores don’t give you bags! Instead, they sell heavy-duty shopping bags that last for years. Wouldn’t it be great if our grocery stores did the same?
Interesting. Although, how you dispose of your bags can add or detract from your carbon footprint. I use paper bags because I use them to carry kitchen scraps from my kitchen compost crock to my compost pile. They break down into rich compost and help fertilize my gardens for free….instead of plastic bags which generally end up in landfills and break down in about….10,000 years I think?
Ellen