Paper or Plastic?

October 21, 2005

Paper or Plastic?

Problem Statement

There have been many debates on whether or not paper or plastic is better for the environment. The number of reasons for and against the use of plastic or paper is considerable, but using either one produces waste, releases toxins, uses embodied energy, and fills landfills.[1] Which one is more environmental friendly, and which one is the most reasonable to use?

Analysis

The world has limited amount of land and resources, that’s a given fact, but consumers continue to deplete the earth of its resources. Energy consumption per capita is the highest nationally with an annual number of more than 5,000 kilograms of oil per capita.[2]

The many arguments that are for and against the use of either packaging will be continuous. As the Institute of Lifecycle Environmental Assessment stated, “Through a lifecycle energy analysis, plastic is the better bag. At current recycling rates two plastic bags use less energy and produce less solid, atmospheric, and waterborne waste than a single paper bag.”[3] Another source called the Grassroots Recycling Network argued that, “Paper bags are better because they are made from wood, a renewable resource, while plastic bags are made from petroleum. Also paper grocery bags are recycled at a higher rate and are reused more frequently, since many home kitchen trash containers are designed with paper grocery bags in mind.”[4] The answer is: “do like the Europeans do and whip out your own reusable canvas bags.”[5]

Another way to regulate the plastic and paper bags is seen in Plan B. The book gives an example of “banning the use of non-refillable beverage containers” in Canada’s Prince Edward Island. It is said to have “reduce[d] energy use, water use, and garbage generation.”[6] If the United States were to take on a similar project, requiring consumers to bring their own bags, we could also expect the same results, if not much more.

Conclusion/Inference

There are many things that need to be done to “save” the earth; we can begin by using cloth bags. Recycling and reusing bags would fall second to this. If all used cloth/canvas bags, there would be no need for paper and plastic bags when grocery shopping, this would cut down the environmental impact and the pollution that creating these bags emit, and also cut down on energy consumption.

Evaluation

The sources referred to in this paper are all academic sources used by the university, or government sponsored, including the sited web pages. There may be errors in the interpretation of the data and the assumptions that come with the interpretations because I am using research based on organizations, and they have their own bias towards the subject. I have bias towards this topic because I do not use cloth bags. I normally use plastic, but I am doing my part in reusing these bags as trash bags. This may not be enough, but I feel as though I am doing my small part, and perhaps in the future I will use cloth bags.

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[1] Cook, Steve. Geo 300 Lecture – Waste Reduction, Recycling. 10 October 2005.

[2] Allen, John L. and Elizabeth J. Leppman. Student Atlas of World Politics. McGraw-Hill: USA, 2004. p. 88.

[3] Paper vs. Plastic Bags. Institute of Lifecycle Environmetal Assessment. Last updated: 28 October 2004. http://www.ilea.org/lcas/franklin1990.html last consulted: 16 October 2005.

[4] Paper or Plastic? (Either is good if reused). Grassroots Recycling Network. Last updated: 2005. http://www.grrn.org/resources/paper_plastic.html last consulted: 16 October 2005.

[5] Paper or Plastic? Eco-cycle. last updated: 13 June 2003. http://www.ecocycle.org/askeco-cycle/20030613.cfm last consulted: 16 October 2005

[6] Brown, Lester B. Plan B: Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. W.W. Norton & Company: New York, 2003. p.154.