Paper Vs. Plastic: Shopping Bag Choices for the Environmentally Concerned

More and more people are becoming aware of the environmental impact of everything from recycling to riding their bike or going vegetarian one day each week. With the plethora of information now readily available in print and online, learning small ways to be a little greener is getting easier every day. However, while some information is very clear - drive less, buy local, switch to better light bulbs - there are some items that still seem up for debate when looking for the eco-friendlier option. One of these great debates is over plastic versus paper shopping bags.

Cities and countries are beginning to ban plastic bags, so lots of environmentally concerned folks who don't have a lot of time to do their own research are switching to paper since that must be the better option, right?

Not necessarily.

Before they ever hit the end of the check stand, both options have already had a considerable environmental impact.

Both paper bags and plastic bags require machinery that uses fossil fuels in order to harvest the raw material for production. In the case of plastic bags, the machinery is used to drill, pump and transport oil. This process also includes ravaging the earth where the oil deposit is located and either using roads or pipelines to move the oil -both of which take away from habitat. In the case of paper, the machinery is used to build roads to the forests, fell the trees and transport them.

Both paper bags and plastic bags require toxic chemicals during production (which are then released into the air and dumped into waterways) and more fossil fuels to be transported from the production facilities to distributors and then again to the retail outlets where they will be used.

Plastic bags are made from non-renewable petroleum resources, while paper bags require the felling of millions of trees each year - which means that paper bag production causes greenhouse gases, while at the same time removing the very thing that absorbs greenhouse gases (trees), not to mention the devastating effects from removing acres upon acres of habitat.

Plastic bags take less energy to produce and recycle than paper bags, and more pollutants are created and released into the air and water during the manufacturing of paper bags. But, again, plastic bags are made from non-renewable resources and are far less likely to be recycled.

In fact, plastic bags are not only less often recycled, but are a huge concern for wildlife. The number of bags that ends up in the ocean is preposterous and the number of marine animals that are killed each year by plastic bags is heartbreaking.

Paper bags take up more room in landfills, but also are more likely to be recycled and when it comes to landfills and how biodegradable something might be, it doesn't really matter - considering that degradation requires water, oxygen and light, and landfills are not set up to foster this process. So, if your bags end up in a landfill - whether they are plastic or paper, they are going to be around for a long, long time. Of course, in the case of plastic bags, that long, long time equals thousands of years.

Obviously, recycling is a much better option than landfills, but recycling either paper or plastic bags requires more water, more chemicals and more transportation added on to what was already used during production. So, while recycling is absolutely the better option, and we should do everything in our power to keep them out of the landfills, it would be even better to find ways to reduce the demand for plastic or paper bags overall.

At some point (and that point is now, if you haven't been paying attention) we have to ask ourselves - are we really willing to plow through natural resources, and cause huge amounts of pollutants to enter the environment to make several billion bags each year, just so we don't have to remember to grab our own bags out of the trunk?

Is trashing the environment, killing off marine life, ruining our air and water quality and adding to overflowing landfills really worth the slight convenience of having bags waiting for us at the check stand, rather than bringing in our own?

The answer is a resounding no.

The verdict is in on paper vs. plastic - both are environmentally devastating and, quite frankly, a selfish luxury of convenience. And, to further the argument, it's not even a life-changing convenience. It doesn't save time, it doesn't save money (believe me, the cost of the bags is included in the goods you are purchasing and some stores give a discount for using your own bags), and it doesn't save space (your own bags will stow easily in your purse or backpack or under a seat).

So, really the only answer to paper vs. plastic is neither. Reusable bags are the way to go, and they are inexpensive and are widely available. They can be purchased for $1 at pretty much any grocery store, and even stores like Wal Mart, Fred Myer, and Target. They will last for years, are machine-washable and are easy to stow in a convenient location. At $1 each, they won't break the bank even if you forget your bags and need to purchase a couple more. Then, later you can either add those to your collection or give them to a friend to help her/him to be more environmentally friendly as well.

If you are concerned about forgetting your bags, keep them in the trunk - or by the door - so that you can easily grab them on your way to the market. Another option for always having a reusable shopping bag handy is to purchase a ChicoBag™. They are compact and easily stuff into their own attached carrying case.

Reusable shopping bags can also be made out of the plastic bags you already own. For a tutorial on how to transform all those plastic shopping bags you've been saving into sturdy reusable bags, visit Etsy Labs. And, if you prefer a trendier, eco-friendly bag, here are a few websites that sell great reusable shopping bags.

Envirosax

Baggu

Reusable Bags

Ecobags

Green Feet

Green Feet is one of the places where you will find the ChicoBag™, which is one of my favorites and the bag that I keep in my purse for those impromptu stops at the bookstore or market. This is a compact bag that is easy to shove back into its attached carrying case and comes with a hook for attaching to your purse or backpack. It's very convenient and has saved me many times when I have forgotten to grab a bag out of my trunk. Green Feet sells these great little bags for $5 each or five for $20.