The debate between whether paper or plastic bags are better for the environment has been going on for years. Countless studies have been conducted to come up with a definitive conclusion, yet they almost never agree. Some feel plastic is the better overall choice, others paper.
Fact is, it's hard to say. Paper may consume more resources to produce, but it's also more recyclable than plastic if you include the fact that paper can be composted and plastic bags cannot. The general consensus is that they're roughly equal in pros and cons. They may be convenient addictions, but they both gobble up natural resources and cause significant pollution.
"Plastic bag production requires 40 percent less energy, results in 80 percent less solid and 94 percent less waterborne wastes, and generates 70 percent less air pollution than paper bags," says Deborah Mitchell, a contributing expert to www.CharityGuide.org. "Plastic bags also take up less room in landfills, but many are littered or fly away. They clog up sewers and waterways, get entangled in vegetation and fences, and get caught in the throats of animals."
It is well documented that plastic bags are found in the stomachs of sea turtles and on the shores of remote islands. Once plastic bags are in the environment — whether in a landfill or a lake — it can take hundreds of years for them to decompose, and they contribute toxins to the soil and water as they do.
As for paper bags, they are more likely to be recycled (about 10 to 15 percent), but the environmental impact is staggering.
"Beyond enormous energy costs, 14 million trees in 1999 alone were cut down to manufacture the 10 billion paper grocery bags used by Americans," Mitchell reports.
The vast majority of experts do agree that the right choice is a reuseable bag — be it cloth, canvas or some form of biogradeable material. Most are made from renewable resources, require minimal energy, are light and durable, and last for years. Some can even be machine-washed and are great to keep in the trunk of the car.
Whether it's increased environmental awareness or shock from the soaring price of gas at the pump, consumers have been jumping on the "green" wagon in droves. Even retailers are climbing aboard. Though most major supermarkets in Hawaii continue to bag their products with plastic, almost all offer their customers the choice of using reuseable canvas bags, usually for under $5.
Offering reuseable bags appears to be catching on, albeit gradually, and it's not limited to the grocery industry, or to environmentalism. And at least one store, it's not even an option.
"We didn't want to do paper or plastic," says Gina Watanabe, co-owner of In My Closet, a women's clothing and accessory boutique in Kahala Mall. Instead, she and her partner, Chong Yamamoto, hand out a reuseable bag with every item sold in their shop, large or small.
"The trend was heading toward recyclable packaging, and we also felt it was good marketing," said Watanabe, who holds an MBA.
The bags are made from a non-woven fabric that feels somewhat like paper, but are reinforced at the handle with brass hardware. Available in two shopping bag sizes and two jewelry pouch sizes, the pink and brown bags have a designer look and bear the "In My Closet" logo on them.
"We've had people come in just to get the bags," Watanabe remarks. "It has cost us more (to give away the bags), but it was a risk we were willing to take and it has paid off."
There are biodegradable bags popping up in the marketplace, but they carry some downsides, as well. For instance, water, soil and crop contamination could result from the use of compost with chemical residues from biodegraded bags.
Until someone develops a magical plastic shopping bag that doesn't consume vast quantities of natural resources to make, and disappears immediately without a trace, the best thing to do for the environment is to BYOB — bring your own bag.
