Chico, Sustainable

Paper Bag Pro: They come from trees, which when grown and harvested properly are a renewable resource. Furthermore, many paper bags these days are often partly post-consumer waste. Paper bags are also readily accepted at recycling centers. Given the right conditions, they will decompose.

Paper Bag Con: They require 4 times more energy to make than a plastic bag and their production requires more water and emits more chemicals into the air and water than plastic.

When I Use Paper: I always find a second or sometimes a third life for paper bags. I use them as containers for paper recycling (especially junk mail), and I frequently cut them into sheets and use them for wrapping packages to mail.

Plastic Bag Pro: Convenient, cheap, durable. It all began with the disposable sandwich bag in 1957. They require a lot less energy and resources to make as compared to paper. A new California law requires large grocery stores to provide on-site recycle bins for the bags.

Plastic Bag Con: They are one of the most common forms of litter, and the fact that they can "inflate" to become airborne makes this even more problematic, especially for wildlife. Most plastic bags do not decompose. They are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Plastic bags are banned from the city of San Francisco, and stiff taxes or partial or complete bans have now been imposed in a number of other cities and countries (in Bangladesh they were outlawed because of their propensity to clog storm drains, thus causing increased street flooding after heavy rains).

When I Use Plastic: Until they get a major hole or become excessively soiled I can use them multiple times. I take them back to the store or Farmer's Market and for when I buy produce or bulk goods (rather then taking a fresh bag off the roll), and I use them for dog poop and also to line my smaller trash cans. I never need to buy plastic bags—the ones that come "free" from my various purchases are more than plenty, and I have found that a plastic bag with a twist-tie is just as good as a zip-lock.

Reusable Bags Pro: They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, are durable, can be used over and over, and sometimes you get a discount for using them (5 cents isn’t much, but its better than nothing. I have yet to win the drawing at Trader Joe’s). They can be made from renewable resources, such as cotton. They are often washable and usually inexpensive, especially if you look for them at a thrift store (The Salvation Army Store on 10th and Broadway sells them for $1.00 each).

Reusable Bags Con: They often aren’t waterproof, making them less than ideal for, say, a bunch of damp lettuce. I did not find any information regarding the energy and chemicals required for their construction, though I am sure that this varies depending on the bag.

When I Use Reusable: All the time, as frequently as possible.

The bottom line is this: I try to use my own cloth bags as often as I can, but when I do find myself in the possession of a paper or plastic bag, I do my best to give it a second or third life. The real waste is when the bags go from the market to your home and then directly into the trash.

For good information on plastic bags and local efforts to manufacture reusable bags check out this recent article in the News and Review.