Pros on Plastic Bags

Energy Consumption

• While paper bags are biodegradable and often considered a better alternative than plastic, many people are not aware that it actually takes more than four times the energy to make a paper bag as a plastic one. Add this massive energy consumption to the fact that companies often obliterate forests to create paper bags, and you begin to see a much larger environmental impact with paper bags than with plastic. More energy means more pollutants, and fewer trees mean the Earth has a harder time processing those pollutants.

Re-use and Recycling

• You can find many new uses for plastic bags in your home. They can become small trash bags in the bathroom or under the counter. You can also use plastic bags to pick up after your dog if you live in a city and your dog does not have free run of the yard. In addition, companies can recycle plastic bags into a wider variety of products than paper bags, because paper loses quality as when recycled. Plastic bags can become brand new products like bottles, computer parts, and school supplies.

Moisture Resistance

• If you have ever bought a greasy hamburger at a local restaurant, you are probably familiar with what happens to paper when it gets wet. Moisture makes paper weak and increases its odds of tearing or breaking, which can make getting your groceries home from the store a real pain. Plastic bags are waterproof and will be as strong when you get home as they were at the store, though it is worth noting a paper bag generally holds more weight.

Flexibility

• You can store plastic bags under your counter or in a drawer for future use. Because plastic bags are very light and thin, you can ball them up, fold them or stuff them into small containers until you need them. You can fold paper bags, but they will still take up far more space than a similar number of plastic bags. If you save your plastic bags from the grocery store, you may find that you have dozens of bags available whenever you need one, and they do not take up much of your storage area.