Tout Your Tote Bag
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OnOctober 15, 2011, Portland’s plastic bag ban went into effect, banning the useof plastic bags in major grocers and retailers with pharmacies. While this banis indeed a step in the right direction, paper bags are no better. That’sright. Most of us are used to hearing the question “paper or plastic” wheneverwe go shopping and we all expect “paper” to be the environmentally correctchoice. Unfortunately, any product that is designed for one-time-use, whetherpaper or plastic is bound to wreak havoc to the environment.
Paper bags leave a larger carbonfootprint from production to recycling than plastic bags. It is true thatplastic bags pose unique challenges to the environment. They get consumed by andtangled among animals, they clog storm drains and get in our waterways, but aquick look at the data and you will realize that if anything paper bags are thelesser of two evils. Paper bags require four times more energy to produce thanplastic bags and in the process they generate 70 percent more air pollutantsand 50 percent more water pollutants. One of the reasons that people opt forpaper bags is that they are recyclable, but so are plastic bags. In fact, ittakes nearly twice as much energy to recycle plastic than it does paper. To topit off, paper bags weigh more (about nine times as much) meaning that moreenergy is required to transport them and they take up more space in thelandfill.
Paper bags leave a larger carbonfootprint from production to recycling than plastic bags. It is true thatplastic bags pose unique challenges to the environment. They get consumed by andtangled among animals, they clog storm drains and get in our waterways, but aquick look at the data and you will realize that if anything paper bags are thelesser of two evils. Paper bags require four times more energy to produce thanplastic bags and in the process they generate 70 percent more air pollutantsand 50 percent more water pollutants. One of the reasons that people opt forpaper bags is that they are recyclable, but so are plastic bags. In fact, ittakes nearly twice as much energy to recycle plastic than it does paper. To topit off, paper bags weigh more (about nine times as much) meaning that moreenergy is required to transport them and they take up more space in thelandfill.
OK, so paper bags are not so greatafter all. Then why is all the attention on plastic bags? The answer is simple.Plastic bags are a visible sign of waste. They are an ugly staple of the urbanenvironment. Paper bags are not so visible. We cannot see the damage caused tothe ozone by paper bag production, but we can see a helpless bird caught in aplastic trap. But, there is good news. We do not have to choose between paperand plastic.
Many of you have probably heard ofthe grocery tote bag. It is a bag designed to hold groceries, but it is durableand reusable. It is stronger than both paper and plastic bags and the strong handlesmake them easier to carry. How many tote bags you will need depend on how bigyour shopping sprees are. If we assume that you go on very large shoppingsprees we can say for the sake of argument that you may need ten tote bans. Inthat case, all ten tote bags will cost you less than ten dollars. Since theaverage American uses 444 plastic bags each year you will also be saving 434bags.
The key to using tote bags is to put them in a convenientplace so you will remember them when you go shopping. If you drive, then theglove compartment or the trunk are good places. If you are a student, put themin your backpack. If you bike, put them in your seat pack. A common strategy isto leave them hanging next to your frontdoor so you see them before you leave the house. Better yet, leave a few in thehouse and a few in the car or bike in case you forget. Whatever your strategy, rememberhow much you are saving by bringing your own bag to shop. Next time you areasked “paper or plastic”, say NEITHER!
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