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Is plastic vs paper bags really that clear-cut an issue? I get the recycle/decompose angle, but I would have thought that paper bags would use much more energy

by fovc 10y ago

Is plastic vs paper bags really that clear-cut an issue? I get the recycle/decompose angle, but I would have thought that paper bags would use much more energy (embedded + transport), release many more chemicals, and cause much more deforestation. I suppose Nepal is probably optimizing for the trash reduction benefit

driverdan 10y ago
Plastic bags are actually more environmentally friendly for the issue you mentioned. Their production uses far less energy and water which results in fewer CO and CO2 emissions. The only negative impact of plastic bags is that people litter.
- ethagnawl 10y ago
  > The only negative impact of plastic bags is that people litter. Of course this does happen. However, even if people were meticulous about putting their used plastic bags in trash receptacles, there are still _lots_ of ways for plastic bags to make their way into the environment: trash cans get overturned, trash bags sitting on the curb waiting to be picked up are torn open by animals, etc.
- collyw 10y ago
  People can still litter with paper bags, but those will at least decompose.
vram22 10y ago
Use of plastic bags causes huge other issues, apart from just the energy consumed to make and transport them. They are often thrown anywhere after use, are light, so fly around, even to medium distances, clog up all sorts of places, including land and water bodies. In India (and other countries where cattle roam free, even in towns), animals that eat them (or rather bite them to get at some food in the bags), are sometimes found choked/suffocated to death, cows particularly. Also, a big one, poor/homeless people collect plastic waste (not only bags, also plastic pieces used for packing, thermocol, etc.) and in winter burn them at night to keep themselves warm as well as to cook. That causes a lot of pollution, including, I've read, toxic dioxins from burning plastic, which is banned to do in many developed countries. I do know that preventing some of these things are only solving symptoms or superficial causes. But they are a problem all the same.

by fovc 10y ago

driverdan 10y ago

Plastic bags are actually more environmentally friendly for the issue you mentioned. Their production uses far less energy and water which results in fewer CO and CO2 emissions. The only negative impact of plastic bags is that people litter.

ethagnawl 10y ago
> The only negative impact of plastic bags is that people litter. Of course this does happen. However, even if people were meticulous about putting their used plastic bags in trash receptacles, there are still _lots_ of ways for plastic bags to make their way into the environment: trash cans get overturned, trash bags sitting on the curb waiting to be picked up are torn open by animals, etc.
collyw 10y ago
People can still litter with paper bags, but those will at least decompose.

vram22 10y ago

Use of plastic bags causes huge other issues, apart from just the energy consumed to make and transport them. They are often thrown anywhere after use, are light, so fly around, even to medium distances, clog up all sorts of places, including land and water bodies. In India (and other countries where cattle roam free, even in towns), animals that eat them (or rather bite them to get at some food in the bags), are sometimes found choked/suffocated to death, cows particularly. Also, a big one, poor/homeless people collect plastic waste (not only bags, also plastic pieces used for packing, thermocol, etc.) and in winter burn them at night to keep themselves warm as well as to cook. That causes a lot of pollution, including, I've read, toxic dioxins from burning plastic, which is banned to do in many developed countries. I do know that preventing some of these things are only solving symptoms or superficial causes. But they are a problem all the same.