Is it good for the environment if we all use paper bags?

Question

yes i hate using plastic bags and i know how bad they are for the environment so if there is something else we can use thats biodegradable then we should but the problem i have is doesn't paper come from trees and if we stop using plastic bags (i hope we do) doesn't it also harm the environment because where cutting down so many trees

Answer 1

although paper bags are a better alternative to plastic they still take trees. My advice is to switch to cloth bags which are available at alot of stores now or online!

happy earth week

Answer 2

idk

Answer 3

'Yes', its goodf for the environment if you use paper bags instead of plastic. One reason is that paper bags are biodegradeable, meaning you can actually put them into your compost bin rather then the garbage bin. Secondly, a big percentage of paper bags are made from recycled paper, so they dont cut down as many trees as you would think. On that point, its a good thing to remember that here in Australia there are many tree plantations which have been specifically planted with fast growing natives such as blue gum. these plantations are a large supplier of wood and pulp, which is of course what paper is made from.

So not all paper products come from old forest trees. So paper over plastic is a much more environmentally sound choice.

Answer 4

A lot of cities are banning plastic bags altogether. I personally don't think that paper is a better option at all. I spend 4 months in Northern BC clearcuts (I'm a reforestation technician), and would rather not see more cut blocks the size of four football fields put together just to make more disposable paper products.

Use a backpack when you shop. Use a travel mug to get your morning coffee. Use cloth or straw woven re-useable bags for your groceries.

What's bad for the environment is our disposable mentality.

Answer 5

We have started asking for paper bags at the grocery store, because the plastic bags are so hard on your back.  We recycle all of our newspapers, magazines, etc. So most paper bags are made from recycled material anyway.  If put into landfills, plastic will remain there for years.

Answer 6

Yes, plastic is one of those many inventions of man that destroy nature...it is great that you try not use them, so the answer is yes, it is better for the environment if we all use paper bags instead of plastic ones...the other answer are correct except the one who want to keep te plastic issue...brown bags are recycled and biodegradable...what more paper industries plant many trees not all of them but those who do it plant, harvest, plant, harvest...all this produce oxygen to the atmosphere...hope this would be enough, but human hunger is unlimited...

but yeah...the best answer you have is the one that tells you use a cloth bag, there is better than that...if you don't want to look girlish just carry a bag pack you'll at least reduce the number of plastic or paper bags...hehe...

Congratulation dude, great question, keep caring for your planet for many lives in it (not talking about humans...I'm kind of misanthropic you know...)

Answer 7

Yes paper is better for the environment because it is biodegradable but it is also using trees (unless the paper bags are recycled bags).  An alternative to both paper and plastic, is using cloth/canvas bags.  Then they are your own bags that you bring to the store, and will not cause harm to the environment. And an added bonus, most grocery stores give you a discount for bringing your own bags (something like 2 or 3 cents off per bag).

Answer 8

Why don't we just get rid of the humans. This way the trees and animals can live without worry.

Answer 9

it's better if you don't use PLASTIC bags and use your own brown paper bags that are recycled

whole foods market is all natural and it always uses recycle brown paper bags

so you don't have much of a choice

Answer 10

Paper is better than plastic - reusable cloth bags are even better yet!

Answer 11

Yukky garbage leaks  through paper bags and gets all over my environment.  I'll stick with plastic.

Answer 12

In a way yes.  I think they should use recycled clothes and make them into bags etc...

But... no matter what we use etc it still has some impact on the environment because people would still throw away cloth bags if they stared to get tatty or if better or there is a more "fashionable" one out...

After all anyway I prefer plastic bags due to they are stronger and weather proof... (There are bio-degradable bags out there you know).

Answer 13

Both paper and plastic bags were recycled at one time by some stores. I guess that if you can recycle one or the other it wouldn't make a difference. How to go back to recycling plastic bags is the question. You can recycle your paper bags though. You could also look into cloth bags. Costco uses the cardboard boxes that the products came in, recycle and this would help.