Is it not time, supermarkets used paper bags instead of plastic bags?!


Question:

Is it not time, supermarkets used paper bags instead of plastic bags?

I think the first one to-do so would be very popular. Paper will rot down, unlike plastic. It would also stop the unsightly mess around tips and collection points.

Additional Details

1 week ago
There is no shortage of trees from renewable sources. Years ago, whole forests were planted for the mining industry, for pit props. We all know what has happened to coalmines now. There are many people who wish to do some thing for the environment, but then again there are millions who could not care less. These are the ones we should be targeting and educating.


Answers:
1 week ago
There is no shortage of trees from renewable sources. Years ago, whole forests were planted for the mining industry, for pit props. We all know what has happened to coalmines now. There are many people who wish to do some thing for the environment, but then again there are millions who could not care less. These are the ones we should be targeting and educating.

I wish they would go back to paper, back in the "old days" that's all we had and I loved the paper bags........so yeah I wish they would go back to them, I agree

Yeah right , it will also cost millions of trees to keep the world supplied with them , supermarkets are now introducing bio degradable bags to combat the issue !!

if you are so concerned...bring your own bags to the store and don't use either paper or plastic. make a difference.

People could just reuse their bags.
Or bring a cloth bag from home.
It's not too difficult.

Even though paper bags biodegrade, a ton of trees are used to produce them. The best thing would be for people to bring their own, reusable, bags to the grocery. This would cause much less harm to the environment. A good canvas bag will last for years, and is much less likely to split, causing dropped groceries!

I discovered that many stores offer a small discount for bringing your own bags. Some stores around here charge customers for each bag that they need to buy. One (Trader Joe's) even offers a ticket for a $25 raffle if your bring your own bag.

Paper is not always better than plastic.
Paper does much more harm to the environment when it is being made. It takes 4x as many trucks to haul it (pollution) and cuts down trees. Plastic is much more environmental friendly while being made. When the bags are being used is where paper is better than plastic for the environment. The best idea is to use boxes or canvas bags.

Perhaps, it would great to go back to paper. But, it's all dollars and cents, plastic bags are just plain cheaper. Plus, as the posters wrote, paper bags equals more usage of trees. The more practical thing would be to use reusuable canvas bags and boxes. My only problem is remembering to put them in my car!

25 years ago I worked in a busy supermarket and we did use sturdy paper bags then some guy invented paper bags,. We also used to use cardboard boxes. Once again I find myself working in a busy supermarket those bags we used all tose years ago were alot srtronger and more environmentaly friendly than the bags we use today. Come on Australia lets bring back the paoper bag. We grow plenty of tassy blue gums that devistate the soil son why not use them for paper bags.

Where I shop you can bring in your own bags. If you don't you have the choice of paper or plastic. It's probably quite similar where you are, so why don't you just ask for paper?

Absolutely- I don't understand why not. Almost every clothing store uses paper.

The idea of using "reuseable" bags seems the best idea and the way forward now, but if stores offered a decent discount and even prizes this would remind people to bring their own cloth bags.

If people say used no store bags they could be offered a lottery ticket (what a great prize to win!)

hmmm - in my neighborhood most stores offer paper or plastic and several places only have paper. But i live in California and we're all hippies here.

It's also time for the manufacturers to stop using so much packaging on products. Most things are so unnecessarily wrapped in cellophane in huge boxes and once you've opened the packet it's half empty. Shops should go back to serving loose products so you can actually just buy as much as you want/need and not waste so much.

No...they should all have you bring your own re-usable bags. Or make you buy theirs, we are much too wasteful with our paper bags. Get something canvas that you can re-use and wash when you can. Use a basket...Try going green a bit more...

but they have made biodegradable bags now! The co-ops bag degraded pretty quickly - we had some in our airing cupboard, and our mum thought we had mice! (the screams were hilarious!)

but yeah, we do need paper back!

I think that would be a wonderful idea - and plastic only for leaky foods such as meat or fish. How about no packaging for most foods - it is a pain in the proverbial to try and get into most packaging and it really is unnecesssary. Why do they do it? People still bought their food many years ago when there were no plastic bags or colourful boxes with their rediculous claims - which they seldom deliver etc.

People should also be able to decide how many or how much of anything they buy. I am sick of wasting food - or eating the same thing several days in a row because I cannot find single items. In Germany and in Latvia they can buy 1 egg or 3 eggs or however many they want! I understand retailers want to keep things contamination free or tamper free but the amount of packaging is ludicrous!!!!

i believe everybody should be made to re-use thier plastic bags,also we have far too much packaging,we didnt have it years ago so why now.the manufacturers should be made to cut down.

Definitely should use paper bags. They have taken us back in time regarding other things, particularly delivery service. They came along and closed down virtually all the small grocers and other businesses (inc. Co-ops) by offering special offers and such as free carriers to get people in. Now they are charging pounds for delivery, whereas my mum used to get 2 deliveries a week, with things often wrapped in paper or paper bags - one from the Co-op and one from the independent village grocer - all free of charge.
Surely they can bear the cost of sturdy paper bags - that can even be recycled.

I don't think paper bags would be any good. A better idea is to stop giving away free plastic carriers with everything! I always take my own shopping bags when I go out, so does my mum.

I totally agree with you... I wish more people were concerned about these topics and started doing SoMeThInG!!!! about pollution... about taking care of our WoRlD!!!!

xx xx

from Argentina

I couldn't agree more....we use the green re-usable bags from the supermarket each week rather than the plastic ones. Why don't the shops get it!!!




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