Americans go through hundreds of billions of plastic bags each year. In an effort to curb the number of bags being used once and then thrown away, cities around the world have instituted bans or taxes on plastic bags. But are paper or reusable bags much better for the environment? Science shows that there is not a clear answer.
Plastic Bags
A major advantage of plastic bags is that, when compared to other types of shopping bags, producing them carries the lowest environmental toll. The thin, plastic grocery store bags are most commonly made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Although production of these bags does use resources like petroleum, it results in less carbon emissions, waste, and harmful byproducts than cotton or paper bag production. Plastic bags are also relatively sturdy and reusable. Many of the studies about different bagging options that show plastic bags production demands less resources assume plastic bags are used at least twice—once coming home and once as a trash bag—and factor this into the calculations about which bags are more sustainable.
Plastic bags are recyclable, though few people recycle them. Recycling plastic bags is a difficult task; they fly away in the recycling plant and get stuck in machinery. Because of this, many cities do not offer curbside recycling for plastic bags. Instead, large-scale retailers offer bag recycling services. However these services are dependent on the consumer bringing the plastic bags back to the store.
Bags that are not recycled end up becoming litter, because they do not biodegrade. In addition to filling up landfills and becoming eyesores, plastic bags that become litter endanger many facets of the environment, including marine life and the food chain. This is because plastic bags, like all plastic materials, eventually break up into microscopic pieces, which scientists refer to as microplastics. Microplastics have been found nearly everywhere: in marine animals, farmland soil, and urban air.
Though scientists have only just begun studying the consequences of microplastic proliferation, and we do not yet know their effect on animals, humans, and the environment, scientists are concerned about how this level of plastic pollution could change our planet. The studies that found plastic bags to be less harmful to the environment than paper and reusable bags did not take effects of litter into account and instead assumed that the plastic bags would be recycled or used as trash bags.
Paper Bags
Paper bags have some advantages over plastic bags when it comes to sustainability. They are easier to recycle, and, because they are biodegradable, they can be used for purposes like composting. However, paper is very resource-heavy to produce: Manufacturing a paper bag takes about four times as much energy as it takes to produce a plastic bag, plus the chemicals and fertilizers used in producing paper bags create additional harm to the environment.
Studies have shown that, for a paper bag to neutralize its environmental impact compared to plastic, it would have to be used anywhere from three to 43 times. Since paper bags are the least durable of all the bagging options, it is unlikely that a person would get enough use out of any one bag to even out the environmental impact.
Still, the fact that paper is recyclable helps lessen its impact. In 2018, 68.1 percent of paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling, a percentage that has been rising in the last decade. However, because paper fibers become shorter and weaker each time the recycling process takes place, there is a limit to how many times paper can be recycled.
Reusable Bags
Reusable bags are made from many different materials, and the environmental impact of producing those materials varies widely. One study from the United Kingdom (U.K.) found that, regarding bag production, cotton bags have to be reused 131 times before they reduce their impact on climate change to the same extent as plastic bags. To have a comparable environmental footprint (which encompasses climate change as well as other environmental effects) to plastic bags, a cotton bag potentially has to be used thousands of times. Materials other than cotton, however, perform much better in sustainability metrics. Nonwoven polypropylene (PP) is another popular option. Made from a more durable kind of plastic, these bags need to be reused around eleven times to break even with the impact of conventional plastic.
In addition to varying widely in their eco-friendliness, there is the chance that reusable bags go unused, because consumers have to remember to bring the bags with them to the store. The biggest positive of reusable bags is that their use cuts down on the amount of litter on land and in the ocean. Studies have found that bans on plastic bags in cities in the United States and Europe have decreased the amount of plastic litter in nearby waters.
Things to Consider
Because reusable and paper bags have a huge environmental cost upfront, and plastic bags create greater negative effects after being used, it is hard to determine which type of bag is truly the most sustainable. Regardless of whether the bag is plastic, paper, or another material, the most sustainable choice is the bag you already have. In every study and for every type of bag, it was clear that reusing the bag as many times as you can reduces its impact on the environment. Overall, making the effort to reuse any bag that comes into your possession, and disposing of the bag responsibly, is key.
You’re at the store, paying for a purchase, and are asked, “Would you like paper or plastic?” It’s a question that we hear almost on a daily basis and most of us don’t even think twice. But, for some people, it’s a stressful decision. Convenience is pulling you toward plastic, but your green conscience might turn you toward paper. Let’s take a closer look at which of these two items is truly the best choice for the environment.
When plastic grocery bags were first introduced in the 1970’s, they were touted as lightweight, durable, and low cost. Over time, consumers grew attached to the plastic bag’s secondary uses — from carrying your lunch to cleaning up after the dog. The conveniences of these little bags have made it the most frequently used grocery bag in the U.S. Hundreds of millions are dispensed each year, creating a modern menace that often winds up caught in trees, blowing down the road, and drifting in oceans. Even “biodegradable plastic” is misleading, because wood fiber has been mixed with the plastic. When buried, the wood dissolves leaving a million tiny pieces of plastic instead of one bag. Once plastic reaches a landfill, it will never go away.
However, when it comes to plastic, it is not all doom and gloom. One of plastic’s greatest assets is its recyclability. To recycle almost any kind of plastic is to merely re-melt and re-form. The re-melting will sterilize, allowing any recycled plastic to be used in even hospital-grade products. And plastic can be re-formed into anything, many times over before it becomes brittle. If society were to implement a strict plastic recycling policy, an enormous percentage of plastic could efficiently be used again.
So, how do paper bags compare? You might be surprised! Despite the fact that paper is biodegradable, the many environmental disadvantages of the production of paper bags might outweigh the benefits. The first disadvantage is pollution. Paper production emits air pollution – specifically, 70 percent more pollution than the production of plastic bags [source: Thompson]. And consider that making paper uses trees that could instead be absorbing carbon dioxide.
The second disadvantage is energy waste. Even though petroleum goes into making plastic, it turns out that making a paper bag consumes four times as much energy as making a plastic bag [source: reusablebags.com].
Third, water waste. The production of paper bags uses three times the amount of water it takes to make plastic bags [source: Lilienfield].
If both paper and plastic are bad news, what should you use? Most studies agree that the most beneficial choice for the environment is a reusable bag. According to a 2004 study by the French retailer Carrefour, a reusable bag is better for the environment regardless of what it is made from, as long as it is used at least four times.
So next time you are at the store and get to choose between paper and plastic, don’t let green guilt necessarily pull you toward paper. Consider that both materials have drawbacks for the environment and consider bringing a reusable bag. It’s the small things that can make a big difference.