I know it has probably been awhile since many of you have been asked this particular question as paper bags have been more or less phased out by many major supermarkets as well as most small corner grocery and produce stores but I was asked the other day while I was out shopping at one of Vancouver’s more health conscious, organic produce stores.

Paper?  Or plastic?

It seemed like an archaic question but after a brief thought, I selected paper.  I mean, it must be easier to recycle a paper bag and it is probably more environmentally friendly than plastic bags, right?  Actually, I was entirely wrong.  My curiousity brought me to research this particular topic a little on the internet and my findings revealed the negative effects of both paper and plastic.

Paper bags actually require more energy to produce than their plastic counterparts.  While it is true that people tend to recycle paper bags, when they do end up in landfills and otherwise, they result in more waste than plastic bags.

Like a lot of the plastics that we use in everyday life, bags end up in the ocean in the billions where they can kill fish and other aquatic creatures.  They can also end up elsewhere were land wildlife can mistake them for food.

The greenest solution?  Bring your own reusable bags when you buy your food.  Many markets these days will have reusable bags for sale but be sure to ask and check what they are made of.  Recycled materials is best and will save our planet some of our precious resources.