Are Paper Bags Really Replacing Plastic?

Are Paper Bags Really Replacing Plastic?

If you’ve been paying attention at the grocery store, you’ve probably figured out that paper bags are becoming more and more popular at the checkout line. Well, why is that? Wasn’t everyone against paper products just a couple of decades ago? 

Well, that’s true, but some things have changed. 

Today, we want to go over whether or not paper bags really are here to take over plastic bags, and why that is if it’s true. 

Yes, They’re Quickly Taking Over

First off, yes, paper bags are making a major comeback. Companies and consumers alike are starting to see their value and the benefits they offer over the plastic bags that pretty much took them off the map years ago. 

As consumers learn the facts that we’ll be dropping in the following sections, they’ve been pressuring companies to adopt them. Like nearly everything else in the market, that is making a real difference. 

Why is that, though? Well, let’s look at some facts about modern paper bags that make them the perfect alternatives to plastic. 

1: Plastic Didn’t Work

Plastic bags were first designed to be a cheap alternative to paper bags. They were also pushed as a potential answer to deforestation.  

Well, if you’ve been paying attention lately, that didn’t exactly work out. Instead, plastic bags became one of the biggest parts of pollution on the planet. People get tons of them in the grocery store, bring them home, and promptly chuck them in the trash. From there, they take up to 500 years to fully disappear from the environment. 

This has created a bigger problem than the irresponsible tree usage we originally moved away from. 

2: They’re No Longer Tree-Based

Trees weren’t really the problem in the past. Our use of trees was simply irresponsible, and our use of the products made from trees was even worse. Trees can be used responsibly. 

However, we don’t have to anymore. 

Modern paper bags are actually made of seaweed. There is an invasive species of seaweed that is damaging coastal regions and destroying fauna and flora the coasts rely on. Humans also rely on those coastal ecosystems. So, it’s not just nature’s problem. 

However, since we have found a way to use this invasive seaweed to make paper, the production of paper bags actually gets rid of that invasive species, prevents the unnecessary use of trees, and still delivers a reliable product. 

3: They’re Just as Strong

We know what you’re thinking. Aren’t seaweed bags so much weaker than paper bags? Well, you’re wrong. They’re actually the exact same in terms of performance and appearance. In fact, if we were to put the two in your hands for you to try out, you wouldn’t know the difference at all. 

Paper Bags are Correcting the Plastic Industry’s Mistakes

It sounds wrong when you know about the irresponsible production of paper in the past, but modern paper bags really are taking the place of plastic options. They’re just as strong, work the exact same, and are reasonably priced. 

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