My last posting was about some of the issues created by the use of disposable plastic bags. Today I’d like to talk about paper bags. I always assumed paper was better than plastic – but read on for some new insights!
As you probably know, paper bags require trees to be felled. About 14 million trees were chopped down in 1999 to make the 10 billion grocery bags that we Americans used that year.
13 pounds of carbon dioxide are absorbed each year by one mature tree. Each ton of wood grown removes 1.47 tons of carbon dioxide and replaces it with 1.07 tons of oxygen.
Unfortunately, we recycle only 10 – 15% of our paper bags. Paper is actually the #1 material found in our landfills. Plastics come in fourth.
This paper piled in our landfills is often buried, giving it no light or oxygen so that it cannot break down. And when it does, it produces methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas.
Sometimes aluminum sulfate, a suspected reproductive toxin, is used in the manufacture of paper. And dyes, with a mix of chemicals, are used to give paper bags their consistent color. These chemicals can contain chlorine which is associated with the release of dioxins, dangerous toxins.
Switching to recycled paper bags can make a difference. First, you are saving trees, and second, the production of recycled paper creates 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution than producing paper from virgin materials.
Eight in ten US paper mills are equipped to use paper collected from recycling programs. These mills have factored recycled materials into their regular paper grade recipes.
So, paper or plastic? I’ll admit I prefer paper over plastic. I always rationalized the tree felling by saying that the trees were planted with the intention that they would be chopped down and used for other things. Guess that made me feel better.
So today I keep four inexpensive canvas bags in the bag of each car. When I say cheap – I mean 99 cents cheap. They have lasted me well over a year so cheap doesn’t seem to matter. Yes, sometimes I forget to take them in to the store. So, I turn around, or stop in the middle of my shopping and go out and get them. I also forget to take them in to stores other than grocery. In that case, I refuse a bag and carry my small purchase to the car.
I feel like I am making a difference. I live in an area where taking your own bags to the grocery is the norm. If you don’t live in such a place, why don’t you start the trend. We will all be better off for it.
Again, these are some facts I gleaned from the September, 2009, issue of “body + soul” magazine. I don’t know where they got the information, but I wanted to give the magazine credit.
Till next time!
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