4 ms·

You'd need to show paper bags are less impactful than plastic before knowing whether to recommend them.

• TulliusCicero 10y ago
  Paper decomposes relatively quickly; plastic takes forever. This is already well known.
  • Someone 10y ago
    Forever? Depends heavily on the plastic. Plastic bags also are lighter and less voluminous, making transport of them to the customer (at first sight) less polluting. Paper bags also may see fewer reuses than plastic ones. The question whether paper bags are more environmentally friendly than plastic ones is not an easy one to answer. Most discussions on this I have read conclude you should bring your own bag, rather than single-use plastic or paper bags.
    • dawnerd 10y ago
      When I lived in Socal and got plastic bags from target they all ended up in the trash because there wasn't recycling for them available nearby and I wasn't going to drive way out of my way to do it. Here I've been using the bags at least once again, and they always end up in recycling. The city even recommends using them for yard waste and other compostables as the bags are perfectly biodegradable.
  • BobCat 10y ago
    Plastic grocery bags are now made to photodegrade. I guess this is not well known.