Comments on: Paper Bags versus Plastic Bags – Real Numbers

By: Robby

Robby — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:37:00 +0000

1.) EPI is the leader of oxo-biodegradable plastic additive technology. Totally Degradable Plastic Additives (“TDPA™”) technology is an environmentally friendly and practical solution to the world’s plastic waste problems. See http://www.epi-global.com. All of the Nashville Wraps – Green Way brand use the EPI additive. There is presently an effort to discredit oxo-biodegradable plastics but they have been unsuccessful because it is hard to dispute truth even with cooked science.

2.) This is definitely NOT TRUE. I wish it was because our revenues would go up if it were. We are in the packaging distribution business so I’d say we are experts and have actual real world numbers. Most grocery stores and retail business do not use the 100% recycled paper because it simply costs more. Presently (September 2009) only 30% of our entire paper bag customers are using 100% recycled bags but that is still up 5% from 2008. It is a myth that recycling paper has less environmental impact that plastic. Think about it for just a minute…Plastic is a fraction of the weight of paper. Paper has to be re-pulped by a large industrial process which requires thousands of gallons of water and massive amounts of power to run the pulpers. I have a friend who owns a paper mill and another who owns a plastic bag recycling company. I have seen both operations, talked in depth to the owners, know and have witnessed the science and can say definitively that plastic has a much smaller overall carbon footprint.

3.) Those were the numbers before the grassroots “green movement” began. Same is true for paper bags. Funny how that gets left out of arguments for paper.

4.) I have not found this to be entirely accurate. It depends on the type and style of bags being compared. If we compare a standard t-sack 12x7x21 to a 1/6bbl std paper grocery sack, then yes. The paper bag is larger than the plastic one. So the argument is like saying I can put more potatoes into a 10lbs paper sack than you can in 5lb plastic one. Yep! In the real world this statement of comparison is probably true because of the type of sacks that grocers typically buy. Plastic grocery bags cost 3 cents and paper bags cost 50 cents. Paper grocery bags being referred to weigh almost ¼ a pound each (3.32 ounces) whereas a plastic bags weight 2/10th of an ounce. Do the math.

Nothing in any argument makes more sense than using, collecting and recycling plastic bags. Rinse and repeat!

Robby Meadows, Nashville Wraps

By: Forrest Chambless

Forrest Chambless — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:43:05 +0000

Three MAJOR MISSTATEMENTS of fact in your article, and a couple other major omissions:
1.) Plastic bags are NOT biodegradable. Allegedly biodegradable bags are have wood pulp or corn starch mixed in so that they break–down into very small pieces of non-biodegradable plastic.
2.) Most paper bags in grocery stores today are made from 100% recycled materials which has less than one third the impact in pollution and energy use than that made from virgin products.
3.) Less than 3% of all plastic bags are recycled. Most people throw them away after hearing the myth that they are biodegradable.
4.) What you fail to mention is that one paper bag can hold as much as three typical plastic bags, which makes the impact discrepency even less!!

By all means, use recyclable bags. But plastic is not the answer you make it out to be.

By: diane e. sayre

diane e. sayre — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:45:55 +0000

My daughter is having a green vegan wedding. We are planting trees for all our out of town guests and encouraging them to plant one where they live, in addition to many other green things that we are doing. We would like to educate our guests about how many resources they are saving by having a vegan wedding, staying in a hotel three miles from the venue and walking distance to a multitude of stores, including a coffee/dessert shop, hardware store, pharmacy and a number of restaurants. Is there a website that could help us figure it out?

Most of all, thank you for all that you are doing. Why isn’t someone in your company running for office in the government sector?Think of what we could be saving in the white house alone as far as just water bottles.

By: Krystal Kelly

Krystal Kelly — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:13:07 +0000

Fabulous! I have been trying to cut through the green rhetoric that assaults all of us on a daily basis. I suspected that the whole paper vs plastic debate wasn’t as simple as paper=good, plastic=bad. Thank you for presenting a very well thought out article! I hope everyone will follow your lead!

By: Debbi Harris

Debbi Harris — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:02:07 +0000

Thank you for taking the time to present such a great comparison of paper vs. plastic. I have been a long time recycler but was not aware of the statistics you presented-probably because I didn’t take the time to investigate as you did. As a science teacher, this is a comparison my 8th graders can easily understand. Thanx again.

By: Audrey Stockwell

Audrey Stockwell — Sun, 04 May 2008 18:50:39 +0000

When grocery shopping, I take thermal bags for the cold stuff and a reusable soft fiber bags for the rest. Some of the items must be packaged in plastic, but I reuse the plastic for trash bags. i’m glad to know they can be recycled.

By: Laura Andres

Laura Andres — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:37:31 +0000

I like this article. It makes me feel much better about using plastic bags in some of our packaging. How does cellophane measure up?

By: Lorie Lee Sonni

Lorie Lee Sonni — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:05:04 +0000

Your information is wonderful! As a ‘former’ Environmental Educator turned ‘soap maker’, I applaud your efforts to educate on going green. The information you present is useful on so many levels. Keep up the great work!

By: Terri Alger

Terri Alger — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:36:17 +0000

Thank you for the information. I too thought paper was better to use since I have been hearing bad info on plastic. I still use plastic bags in the store because I had quite a few on hand. Now I won’t feel bad about using them.

By: Shannon Powell

Shannon Powell — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:21:28 +0000

thank you! i had switched to paper thinking it was better, now I will use those up and go back to plastic! i appreciate your company very much… it is nice to see a company share information wiht it’s clients
Shannon Powell, owner Shanhil Sweets