Why do we even chose between plastic or paper when there are better alternatives?

Question

Years ago in Europe, patrons used mesh bags, usually made of thick plastic bands, that they regularly carried in their pockets or purses on shopping days. These mesh sacks expanded to accommodate just about any day's grocery or other item shopping. Their capacity was amazing actually. After the bag was unpacked, the bag would simply collapse into a very small net. These bags were used over and over, for years on end. Why are we always asking ourselves about which type of disposable convenience we prefer, and not asking ourselves why we don't carry more permanent conveniences, like mesh (net) bags?

Answer 1

Who makes our plastic and paper bags, and how much do they cost?  Who runs the local landfills?  Here in Detroit, we have a giant incinerator that belches sickening fumes from all the local and Canadian garbage it burns 24/7..................Who hold the reins on that pile of stinking money-making trash?

We live in a disposable society.  Scary!  Too bad for Mother Earth.

Answer 2

Plastic is actually a good alternative.  It is 100% recycleable.

Answer 3

Because we are lazy and have a habit of using way too many disposable products. I think we are getting better.  Grocery stores are displaying bags made of canvas or other materials more prominently these days.  I still like the string bag because it takes up so little space.

If you reuse your Trader Joe's paper bags, or reuse the nice sturdy plastic bags they sell for $1, you can enter their weekly contest to win a $30 certificate.

Answer 4

Our local grocer gives a discount if you bring your own bags.  The type of plastic used in grocery bags isn't recyclable where I live (our recycling center can only recycle 1's and 2's), so some businesses try to help in other ways. Another grocer supplies empty boxes, which ARE recyclable. But you make a very good point. We as a nation are very wasteful.

Answer 5

We have those in Australia, the only problem is that people have pay to use the recyclable the bags (granted that its usually only a dollar or so). Still they can go straight to the checkout and get plastic bags for free. I think that supermarkets and the such use plastic bags because they are cheap to produce. I think that people need to a) be given reusable shopping bags and b0 be encouraged to use them! I know that my partner and have a collection of reusable shopping bags that we take with us whenever we go shopping and even the check-out person insists on putting thing in plastic!!