What is Best For the Environment – Reusable Bags, Paper Bags, Or Plastic Bags?
Reusable bags are indeed better for the environment. But, like disposable bags, reusable bags still require resources to produce, and may ultimately end up in a landfill. The only way for reusable bags to be a truly sustainable alternative to paper and plastic is to commit to using them on regular basis. That means not just using them at the grocery store, but at the hardware store, the wholesale club, and wherever else we shop and carry out items. The Environmental Protection Agency says that using a reusable bag just 11 times can have less of an environmental impact than using eleven plastic bags, despite the energy it takes to manufacture it. However, the energy required to make the various types of reusable bags differs depending on the material used. Essentially, the number of uses it takes to cancel out the environmental impact of disposable bags varies according to what the manufacturing process is. The Wall Street Journal reported that many of the inexpensive polypropylene bags
