Paper or Plastic? (1 Viewer)

[Steve Schaffer]

I've recently become a convert to paper grocery bags vs plastic. Not because paper is biodegradable but because the baggers at all the supermarkets I go to never put more than 3 items in each plastic bag, often only one or two, whereas they can usually get all my purchases (I stop at the store every night on the way home from work so rarely have a huge order) into just one paper bag, making it a lot easier for me to get from the car into the house.

I've also found that it's much easier for stuff to roll out of the plastic bags while they're in the car trunk and get lost amid all the other junk in the trunk, sometimes resulting in nasty odors after a few days, and the paper bags make perfect liners for the wastepaper baskets in my computer area and living room.

So what does everybody else ask for?

 

[MarkHastings]

Plastic. With a lot of items, it's easier to carry every bag and open doors that way.The plastic bags work much better in the back seat. They confrom to the seat (and each other) and I find they don't move around that way.

 

[Malcolm R]

Definitely plastic bags for the handles. Many newer cars also have hooks for grocery bags so they don't spill over and roll around.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Probably a poll, but paper. I use them for trash bags. I would pay for them, actually, but they don't offer them for sale, so I usually take a few extra.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Plastic is definitely easier to carry and load into the van (it does have those hooks for the plastic bag handles). But, we've also got one of those under-the-sink sliding trays that holds paper bags for kitchen trash. So, paper wins out at our house. Some stores don't use paper any more where we are. At those that do, the kid baggers will oftimes give you the evil eye when you ask for "paper". Punks! Whippersnappers!

 

[Garrett Lundy]

I used to like plastic, but recently the grocery store downgraded to an extremely thin bag which would be punctured by the corners of cardboard-boxed food, and the handle would tear away if anything as heavy has a 2-litre bottle were placed in it. So I switched back to paper, its just sturdier.

Except at ALDI, their plastic are heavy enough to be used as sandbags should the need arise.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

Neither. I take my own plastic buckets to but the items in while shopping and then just transfer the bin to the car and then to the house. No need for bags.

 

[Jay H]

I use plastic because like others have said, I use them for garbage bags. As I don't produce much garbage, I don't need the larger paper ones. The folks that do give me paper bags, I will save then give them to my parents who do use paper bags for their daily garbage output.

If I didn't reuse the bags, I would certainly bring my own and reuse them over and over again, so it would most likely be a reusable canvas bag. (answer: C-None of the above )

Jay

 

[MichaelBA]

Plastic, for the handles. Except Trader Joe's paper bags, which are very firm, stand up straight, and have handles!

 

[Robbie R]

Plastic for me.

I re-use them for picking up our dogs.....................well, you know.

 

[KevinGress]

Plastic for the handles and the ability to reuse them later for trash or other.

With the paper bags I've come across either the handles aren't sturdy enough to support the weight or they tore too easily.

I also like the canvas bags, but they aren't offered where I am.

 

[MarkHastings]

Agreed, I love those bags.

But as others have said, I find that I reuse the plastic bags a lot more than paper bags.

 

[Zen Butler]

C'mon Steve, 1999? You know this is so a poll.

Anyways, when you're carrying $200 in groceries, walking from your car to your building and climbing a flight of stairs; plastic with the handles all the way!!! You got to make it in one trip.

 

[Mort Corey]

Paper please. Last trip to the store (new one for me) I asked for paper bags, which they provided, and then after filling the paper bags they put the whole thing into a plastic bag.....go figure. What I'd really prefer is they teach these morons the reason that bread, eggs, tomatoes and the like, should not be on the bottom UNDER the canned goods.

Mort

 

[MarkHastings]

Homer: Mmmmmm, squished bread.

 

[DonRoeber]

My grocery store puts paper bags inside of the plastic bags by default.

 

[Michael Harris]

I noticed at "Whole Foods" that they only offer plastic. The sign said that they were more environmentally friendly because they required less energy to produce.

I select plastic for the handles, which makes it easier to negotiate three flights of stairs in one trip.

 

[Bryan X]

I prefer paper but always get plastic since that is all that is offered.

 

[Jay H]

I've heard that before... Really the best one is one that is reused though, whether that is paper or plastic.

Jay

 

[Todd Hochard]

I've read that this has mostly to do with the fact that plastic bags are lighter- pound for pound, plastic holds way more, thus reducing the shipping cost of the bags.

As Jay noted, I'd prefer to just reuse a bag many times (we do reuse all the plastic bags- trash, dog doo-doo, depriving my children of air when needed, etc). However, rolling up to the grocery and getting out of my no-emissions, carbureted 1980 Z28 with a canvas "save the planet" bag seems wrong somehow.