Paper or Plastic?
Posted on July 28th, 2009 - 3:00 PMOne day in my Global Environmental Issues class, a professor showed us a video on the floating island of plastic in the Pacific Ocean, commonly called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. I never knew the trouble that the convenient plastic bag could cause. On that day I decided to make a change in my life to reduce my contribution to the garbage patch and my carbon footprint in general. I wanted to do something productive to make a difference. I decided to stop using plastic bags. It may be a small step but at least it’s a step in the right direction. By switching to reusable bags I became a little greener and much happier.
I bought my first bag on Earth Day 2007 and I haven’t looked back. Now I use that bag and the few others I have accumulated every time I buy groceries or take a trip to the mall. Being a very poor college student, I never need more than one or two reusable bags when I shop. Those few bags carry for me about the same amount approximately seven plastic bags would hold — not to mention they are foldable and fit into my purse that I carry everywhere.
Now, with my reusable bags, I am helping the planet and making my walk to the apartment with the groceries much easier. Let’s face it: Two bags are easier to manage than seven that have a tendency to rip and tear. Next time a cashier asks you; “Paper or plastic?” say, “Neither!” and pull out your reusable shopping bag instead.
About the Author: Ashley White is a current undergraduate student at Virginia Tech. She is interning with OCHPEE for the summer.
Tags: paper bags, plastic bags
| Permalink | TrackBack
Subscribe to this blog's feed
Follow us on Twitter
Question of the Week
July 28th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I use cloth bags as well most of the time. Once a month or so I need to get paper to use for garbage bags. I can’t stand the thought of plastic bags made for the SOLE PURPOSE of having trash put in them then dumped into landfills.
[Reply]
July 28th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
i just wanna say every one just try to avoid use of plastic as much as possible and help the earth not to become dumping planet….thanks
[Reply]
July 28th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
About this Author, we understand that we must from our home first.
For some of us who to go greener and greener for those, mess is a culture base on a long period of time but we can not stop showing others the blue Oceans and green Continents produced by nature.
[Reply]
July 28th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
I did the same! It’s such an easy adjustment, with a huge impact.
[Reply]
July 28th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Many years ago, 1958-1962, my husband was in the Army and we were sent to Southern Germany, a small village near Munich.
I soon discovered that all German ladies always carried their own ’shopping bag’. It had handles and was made of loosely woven crochet stitches, loosely woven. Since they shopped every day, they did not need a very large bag. I soon found out that the merchants expected you to bring your own bag. It would be a great idea if something similar could take hold here in the US.
I love to shop at Braumns for milk, bread, etc. and I love their double paper bags with the handles on them. I save those for times when visiting family and taking large/heavy items. They are great! I also hate plastic.
[Reply]
July 28th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I have also bought some mesh bags to use for produce and cloth bags in place of sandwhich bags to further reduce my use of plastic bags. Really no reason to keep using so many single-use plastic bags!
[Reply]
Ashley White reply on August 6, 2009 2:06 pm:
This is a great idea! I really hate having to use plastic at all. Thanks for sharing!
[Reply]
July 28th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
They pretty much need to stop using paper and plastic in consumer stores. It saves the company’s money for not having to provide such provisions, and it costs very little to the consumer to buy the cloth ones. Cloth bags also last longer and carry more overall, which is definetly more convienent.
A simple solution that is slow to catch on.
[Reply]
July 28th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
i use reausable bags too YAY me!!! :p
[Reply]
July 28th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I think that urge for all coutries governments banned the plastic bags.It are easily replaced for bags,not only paper bags,also thread bags,because paper are trees downfalled,and this is too dangerous for enviroment.
[Reply]
July 28th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
I agree with you and the three previous writers. We should reduce the use of plastics as much as possible. I wohrk at the City of Mission Viejo Library and last year the city provided three reusable clohth shopping bags to all the workers. I use mine all the time. They are great and easy to handle; something else that is important to me as I have disabilities. Also, the city just started a recycling program at the complex I live at in cooperation with the Complex Association Board and the local waste hauler. Every one who lives at the complex will be getting reusable cloth bags to take their recyclables to the recycling dumpster. These bags not only have top handles but a handle on the bottom to make unloading easy. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.
[Reply]
Ashley White reply on August 6, 2009 2:09 pm:
It’s great that your city is taking a pro-active approach to this problem. It’s great to know that some politicians somewhere are trying to make their communities greener.
[Reply]
July 29th, 2009 at 9:12 am
I started my green journey by making my own cloth shopping bags. I recycled some old pillow shams (I get compliments on them all the time) and helped to reduce the number of plastic bags thrown into our landfill. It’s lead to many other changes including making my own laundry soap, using a clothesline and raising chickens! It’s a fun journey and every step feels so good! Best of luck.
[Reply]
Ashley White reply on August 6, 2009 2:10 pm:
Wow! Good for you! I wish I was that crafty. Thanks for sharing your ideas!
[Reply]
July 29th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Some stores where I live offer an incentive for those who bring their own reusable bags: the store donates 5 cents to a charity of your choice. On the way out of the store, you drop a wooden token into one of several boxes with the names of local charities printed on them.
It’s so simple!
[Reply]
melissaEPA reply on July 29, 2009 4:21 pm:
Joan - what a neat idea - the reward going to charities - paying good deeds forward - love it.
Two big grocery chains here in the DC area give YOU back the 5 cents per bag, right off your bill, which is also great incentive for not using their store plastic or paper grocery bags!
[Reply]
July 29th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Pues la verdad creo que el plastico es una maldicion por consiguiente el papel es la perdida y la futura destruccion de nuestro planeta a largo plazo por lo cual es una pena que las grandes potencias en la ultima reunion que tuvieron no hallan llegado a un acuerdo mas comprometedor con nuestro ecosistema porque no es un problema de uno si no de todos
[Reply]
July 30th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Hi !
I use bags made of jute. Such bags are reusable.
Highly decorative fancy jute bag are also available in the market.
Beautiful and appealing high-fashion hand bags, made of jute have found a lot of buyers in handicrafts market. Hand bags are crafted to be used for casual or formal use.
With Regards
Amrita
[Reply]
July 30th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Great ideas, but how does it get done on a wider scale than just you and the conscientious commentors? Let me suggest:
http://www.iowaenvironmentallawupdate.com/2009/07/articles/going-green/the-grocery-bag-dilemma-some-suggested-solutions/
Other constructive suggestions would be welcomed.
[Reply]
July 30th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
So, if everyone uses cloth bags, will the Pacific Ocean garbage patch go away? Not unless all nations establish 100% recycling of all waste and garbage - but then they couldn’t grow their economies. Oh no! But a “growing economy on a shrinking planet has no future” — from “If Saving the Earth” via Google.
[Reply]
Ashley White reply on August 6, 2009 2:13 pm:
The same professor that I mention in the blog also told us that you can’t have an economy without an environment. I think a lot more people could stand to remember that we need the earth and we need it healthy.
[Reply]
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:02 pm
I completely agree that the reuse is the key issue in protecting the environment. However, I am still intrigued by the “Paper or plastic?” question. To answer it, I followed the entire life cycle of both kinds of shopping bags at http://envimpact.org and found out, that for typical usage the PLASTIC bags are significantly more environmentally friendly that paper, mostly due to the terrible waste of water in paper production…
[Reply]
Ashley White reply on August 6, 2009 2:18 pm:
Yeah they are both really bad for the environment. The main thing I want to get across is that reusable cloth or other similar bags are the only solution to the “paper or plastic” question. Thanks for bring up the point that paper bags are extremely harmful as well.
[Reply]
August 4th, 2009 at 10:09 am
A fine should be given to anyone using a weapon of mass destruction - paper or plastic. Ultra soft and thick toilet paper,etc should be taken off the market.
[Reply]
September 18th, 2009 at 3:03 am
I think it’s everybody’s responsibility to the environment protection. I think the reusable bags will be popular in the near future.
[Reply]