for science i have to research the effects of paper bags and plastic bags on the enviroment. so can you please tell me the effects and the cost and wich kind is better.
2007-01-16 01:26:56 · 10 answers · asked by lms 2 in Environment
Ah the old kill a tree or choke a fish debate!
Both paper and plastic are biodegradable but it takes plastic a long time to break down.
They are both recyclable but since the masses don't recycle plastic any where near as much as paper, that makes paper the better choice for our environment.
As far as which makes a better bag you may as well flip a coin as they are both useful.
2007-01-16 01:50:45 · answer #1 · answered by Ta Dah! 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Paper bags bio-degrade. That means they turn into compost which other plants can use for plant-food and eventually, who knows they end up being part of another tree that can be cut down and turned into paper to make another bag. This is a natural process of re-cycling. Plastic bags are mostly made from oil. In millions of years they may have broken down enough to become something else, but in the meantime they are plastic which cant be absorbed by plants or eaten by animals. Many of them get into the sea where they bob about and some sea creatures think they are jelly fish and try to eat them and they choke or suffocate. Plastic bags can get clogged into drains and cause flooding. It is possible to make bio-degradable plastic bags and these are becoming much more common. If you make sure that the plastic bags you use are degradable you can have the advantages of a plastic bag which is waterproof and often stronger than a paper bag, but you will know that it will degrade in a few years rather than the thousands of years that ordinary plastic bags take. If everyone uses only degradable plastic bags manufacturers will not be able to sell the other sort and will stop making them. Then we will stop doing quite so much damage to the small planet Earth that we all live on. And which we hope human beings will continue to be able to live on for a long time into the future. The way we live these days we are gradually turning the earth into a trash dump. Do you want to live on a trash dump? We have a choice. And it's the little things that we do that add-up to make a huge difference.
2016-05-24 23:15:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In terms of durability the plastic bag would be the best bet. But if you want earth friendly then the paper bag would be the best. But plastic costs cheaper than paper. And paper is made from trees. Paper is biodegradable meaning it decomposes and goes back to earth while plastic do not. Though there are few recyclable plastics around. Which is better depends on where you will use it. And there is no argument that plastic is way cheaper than paper.
2007-01-16 03:38:07 · answer #3 · answered by aleondra_iris 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Consider the manufacturing process of each bag and the effects on the environment.
For paper, the lumber must be felled, hauled, processed. More energy and man hours are used at this point. Plastic bags are simpler to mass produce and take less energy to manufacture.
Degradation is the other key point that must be considered. Plastic will not decompose in our lifetime, paper will.
As for which makes a better bag? Well, I would not want to put a sliced orange into a paper bag, but then I would prefer my popcorn in a paper bag. Each has their purpose.
2007-01-16 01:38:37 · answer #4 · answered by aivilo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think paper bags are better, because they could decompose into the earth, and plastic can not. I'm not for sure which is better though or costs more, but I would choose that paper is the best.
2007-01-16 01:30:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think they both have their benefits. for the longest time, i liked paper better because they were recyclable...but now many store ave "plastic bag collections" and they recycle plastic bags too! i used to work at a grocery store, and it was cheaper for us to order plastic bags than paper, but i do not know the exact costs. that is why, at the store, they give you plastic unless you specifically ask for paper.
2007-01-16 01:35:36 · answer #6 · answered by moondancer629 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think both are equally as good as long as you are recycling them. And if you really want to be environmentally better take a cloth bag with you when you go shopping and dont use either of the bags. As far as cost goes I'm really not sure.
2007-01-16 01:34:47 · answer #7 · answered by lothlorien30 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Plastic is durable but it's a poison to the environment, bec it's not a recycable materials and made of harmful chemicals(non-biodegradable). While papers are enviroment-friendly (biodegradable).It's not durable like plastic but it's recycable and natural.
2007-01-16 01:34:31 · answer #8 · answered by ranya j 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
plastic because it's flexible, unlike paper which will tear easier.
2007-01-16 01:32:01 · answer #9 · answered by Heidi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
PAPER IS BETTER.BECAUSE IT IS RECYCLABLE.
2007-01-16 01:34:53 · answer #10 · answered by S.S.KUMAR 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋