January 25, 2006

Paper or Plastic?

Leaving the crafting question aside (paper wins), which is better: paper or plastic bags at the grocery store? The Institute for Lifecycle Environmental Assessment, after much scientific study, voted plastic in 1990. However, in 1990 the Simpsons had just started on TV and Bush the First had only been president for one year. Perhaps more data is needed.

The plastic bag folk provide a site that breaks the choice down into three components - reduce, reuse, recycle -- and they suggest plastic is the better option. (Duh.)

However, even the paper people at treehugger.org vote plastic is the lesser of two evils, after much consideration. Wow.

So, I guess the answer is .... plastic, please.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

or better yet...use a reuseable cloth bag(s)! Sorry, I couldn't resist...being an environmental something person :).

Anonymous said...

I always choose paper at the supermarket
1) REDUCE: I can put more in the bags - for some reason it seems like with the plastic the checkers see how *little* can be put in one
2) REUSE: I reuse the bags in a myriad of ways - garbage can in bedroom and office where there is no can, stuff newspapers into it for recycling, and the wide opening and self standing features make it a breeze to put cooled ash from the fireplace into for spreading on the garden or disposal.

THose plastic bags...rarely get either of these two functions.

PS POE: I know I can reuse the paper or get cloth...but like most people I usually forget.

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