Paper, plastic, or BYB (bring your own bag)?
Answer:
BYOB is far better than paper or plastic. Whenver I go to the supermarket I bring a big tote bag, an Ikea Big Blue Bag, and a smaller canvas bag.
The problem with plastic bags is they're not recycleable. They can be reused for a few different purposes, but if you put then in your recycle bin at home they'll just end up in landfills. California just enacted a new law that started on July 1st which requires stores to set up an at-store plastic bag recycling program for customers.
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/lgcentral/basics...
http://www.zerowaste.ca.gov/events/plast...
If you don't have such a program in your area and aren't willing to BYOB, then I would suggest using paper bags. They require more energy to produce and trees to be cut down, but they're fully recycleable.
The best option by far is to bring your own reuseable bags, however. Just put them in your shopping cart and you're good to go.
I like plastic because I re-use them.
plastic,, i use them and keep them,, since they dont biodegrade ive found they come in handy for storing stuff in ,, and there sturdy enough to carry stuff in if i go out,,
BYOB!
Bring your own bag!
We bought several canvas bags at a thrift shop for 25 cents a piece. I have a insulated bag I bought 3 years ago and a couple of bags (beach bag size) at Linen N' Things on clearance.
Just remember to put them in your car so you don't forget them when you go shopping!
I used to bring my own canvas totes, but those need to be washed, meaning they still consume energy and resources.
Some people think paper is better because it can be recycled. True, but the paper sacks themselves have to be created from virgin fiber - ie, they cannot be created from recycled paper. They wouldn't have the strength, so you end up cutting down trees to make paper sacks.
Plastic is demonized because it is created from petroleum products. However, they are more easily/cheaply recycled to make new bags, and many grocery stores have a place to recycle bags, making it more convenient than other alternatives.
I like plastic because I can use them to clean the litterbox with. lol
I use a combination of BYOB and plastic. I use plastic for the items that might get messy and canvas sacks I bought from the store for everything else.
I'm kind of ticked off though. Y!A promised to send me my very own special edition tote for stuffing groceries in, but it never came.
Use canvas totes! They're the best and if you're careful about the way you pack they won't need washing that often. For things like ice cream when it's hot, I'll still use a plastic bag for that. As for the bags using more energy to be washed, they can gentle be washed by hand in just a gallon or two of water and hung to dry. I started using mine a couple months ago and haven't had to wash them yet. Although, I'm a vegan so I don't have to worry about the leaking of meat juice..
Reusable Canvas/Cloth bags
I bring my own bags. Just started a few weeks ago. People are intrigued when they see me in the market handing my bags over to the clerk. I think it is catching on. It's so easy and makes so much sense. It's just a no-brainer. It makes me feel good to know I am doing what I can to conserve our natural resources.
BYOB, no question!!
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