How we use and dispose of bags matters even more. Reputation aside, single-use plastic bags have the smallest carbon footprint, at least in terms of single-bag production. Reusable bags made from nonwoven polypropylene plastic are also common, and they’re actually less carbon-intensive to produce. Cloth bags are typically made from cotton, a particularly pesticide-intensive and water-guzzling crop. And they usually aren’t made from recycled material, because new paper has longer, stronger fibers. But producing them in quantity requires a lot of water, fuel and cut-down trees. Paper bags are biodegradable and easy to recycle or compost. The result has been called a “modern menace,” with stray bags gathering in the streets, the ocean and landfills, where they endanger wildlife and never biodegrade. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Americans go through hundreds of billions of these each year. Thus, the question: paper, plastic or reusable cloth bags? Those of us striving to be green want to make sure we’re using the most eco-friendly carrier. But the decisions don’t end with the products themselves. Many of us are drawn to discount prices claims of health benefits bright, sexy packaging - and, recently, environmental considerations. Is this true? Which shopping bags are most sustainable: reusable, plastic or paper bags?Ī trip to the grocery store entails a multitude of decisions. Q: I’ve heard that reusable shopping bags can be less sustainable than plastic shopping bags. SAGE (Sound Advice for a Green Earth) is a project by advanced students in Earth Systems and other programs to answer sustainability questions.
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