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Monday, May 14, 2007

Paper or Plastic? Environmental or Economical

I have to confess something. I am only an environmentalist, when it is economically feasible to me. That is why I have over the past couple of years, have tried to avoid using plastic bags. All because of all the oil used in those plastic bags. Less oil we use, I figure, the less gas eventually will be. However, Americans continue to use on average more gas and oil based products. Perhaps they don't understand that they are driving the gas prices up themselves.

Let's take a look at the numbers, according to NBC,

To make all the bags we use each year, it takes 14 million trees for paper and 12 million barrels of oil for plastic. The production of paper bags creates 70 percent more air pollution than plastic, but plastic bags create four times the solid waste — enough to fill the Empire State Building two and a half times. And they can last up to a thousand years.


From an environmental point of view, neither option is good. From an economic consumer paper is slightly better. However, from a business point of view plastic is cheaper, so if consumers start using more paper, then retail prices will go up to pay for those bags. There is, of course another option, using cloth or canvass bags, and taking the bags with you when you go shopping.

As you can tell, this is a bit of dilemma for me. Do I pollute the air and use paper or do I fill up the land fills and use plastic? What I really need to do is, make a stronger effort and use canvass bags more.
Posted by Kevin Surbaugh at 5/14/2007 09:31:00 AM
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6 comments:

  1. Yes, you do! I don't know if there's a Trader Joe's near you, but I bought my canvas bags there and use them there everytime I shop.

    The trick to using canvas is REMEMBERING them. I have about 10, five in the car and five in the house from the groceries I just bought. When I am done unpacking groceries, I leave the bags on the door knob...much easier to remember to take them with you.

    Its a great and easy way to help out the environment and reduce our oil dependencies. ALSO: you never have to worry about a handle snapping off and leaving you with broken glass jars in the parking lot!

    Good Luck,

    MGB
    ReplyDelete
  2. Bring your own bag! We bring 5 canvas bags with us every time we go, and have not brought a paper OR plastic bag home in over 2 years. That is the true way to help the environment, and you can usually get cheap canvas bags from flea markets or 99 cent stores. Make the switch!
    ReplyDelete
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  4. If the choice is only paper or plastic, environmentally paper is better and probably economically too (you are supporting a logger's job). Trees are renewable resources.

    I keep meaning to make some canvas bags, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I've got some old pillowcases that I'm sure would work great without too much sewing involved
    ReplyDelete
  5. I would think that the paper bags are more eco-friendly. I would think that when they replant the trees to make the next paper bags, the growth of the trees will remove carbon from the atmosphere, diminishing the pollution effect of the production.
    ReplyDelete
  6. You can get Natural Color Cotton Canvas Tote Bags (100% Cotton Canvas, 6 ounce fabric, 14"x16" with self-fabric handles) for $.99 or colored bags for $1.49 at http://cheaptotes.com/canvas_tote_bag_8.html. They also have other sizes, styles, and colors to meet just about any need.

    I usually keep paper bags in my trunk to reuse in case I forget my canvas bags. They take up very little room and don't melt like the plastic bags did.
    ReplyDelete

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