Paper or plastic? It's up to you.

When I applied for my job, the interviewer asked, “When you go to the grocery store, what do you choose – paper or plastic?”

I said, “Cloth.”  But I did go on to explain that yes, I know that in the recycling industry, a plastic bag is considered a better option than a paper bag.  Why?  Earth911 has listed some specific details here, but here’s the quick and dirty:

• Plastic bags usually contain recycled content while virgin tree fibers are used to make paper bags. Recycled content is not widely used in paper bags because each time paper is recycled, paper fibers get shorter.  Shorter fibers equal weaker fibers, and paper bags need to be strong.

• Plastic bags are manufactured with much less energy than paper bags.

• Recycling Plastic bags also uses less energy than recycling paper bags. 

Earth911 reports that only 10-15% of paper bags used are recycled.  Growing up, my mom always asked for paper bags.  Sure, she probably recycled only 15% of them, but that other 85% covered text books, were shredded and composted into her compost pile, served as landscaping fabric in her garden and eventually decomposed.  Some of those bags, especially the pretty ones with nice handles that came from gift stores downtown carried my lunch to school, or went home  with a family member after a holiday party, full of leftovers.  Some were used as gift bags, only to be used again as gift bags.  You can’t (or maybe I should say shouldn’t) put a gift in a plastic grocery bag.

So which is better?  I don’t know.  Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Plastic is a petroleum based material.  Aren’t we trying to become less dependent on petroleum?
   
2. I need trash can liners, and plastic grocery bags do the trick.  When I go to someone’s house and their bathroom trash can isn’t lined, I wonder who has to scrub that sucker.  And if I observe that that person’s name is most likely No One, I am really grossed out.
   
3. My cat is very appropriately named Bomber.  I need something to put her poop into.  I could use the kitchen trash can, but if the trash can isn’t full, and I wait to take it out until it is full, it stinks!
   
4. In my opinion, raw meat should always come home in a plastic bag.  ALWAYS.
   
5. Paper is made from a renewable resource, and a lot of R and D is going into finding sources of fiber that are rapidly renewable and strong, like bamboo.
   
6. I don’t like weeding, and I don’t want to spend money on landscape fabric, especially in my veggie garden that is cleared out each fall.
   
7. I don’t have kids, but when I do, I know that their school will require them to cover their hard text books.  Paper Bags to the rescue!  They’re cheap, easy, and great for doodling.

I say it’s your choice.  But whatever you do use, remember the three R’s: 

• Reduce the number of bags you use by using reusable bags
  
• Reuse the paper and plastic bags you bring home
  
• Recycle your leftover bags. 

In York County, Pennsylvania, if you have curbside recycling, your paper bags can go in your curbside bin.  DO NOT put plastic bags in your recycling bin, they cause all sorts of problems.  Return plastic bags to a store.  Not sure which stores accept the returns?  Go to http://www.abagslife.com/  Giant and Weis aren’t listed – they’ve got bag drop-offs in all of their locations.

Tip:  Plastic bag recycling drop-offs accept all sorts of bags:  regular plastic shopping bags, sandwich and freezer bags, bread bags, dry cleaning bags, and more.