The use of paper grocery bags and plastic bags when packing shopping items is a huge debate. Making up your mind seems like an easy choice although consideration for the positive and negative aspects of each bag type is a good idea. There is more to paper versus plastic bags than meets the eye when it comes to durability, life cycle costs, and re-usability. Here is an overview of whether to carry paper bags compared to plastic bags.
Looks
Shoppers mind about the look of their shopping bags. And, there’s a big difference between the looks of paper and plastic bags. Paper grocery bags are thick and stiff compared to plastic bags. This gives the retail store to display their message and logo. The looks of paper bags depend on nature with options including white cardboard, Kraft paper, offset paper, and coated paper. Additionally, you can use paper bags with different finishes including glossy Get Paper Grocery Bags or matte. This significantly affects the overall look of these grocery bags giving them a classier look incomparable to plastic bags.
Endless customization
Apart from branding with store logo and message, business owners can customize paper grocery bags further to make them look more beautiful. This gives smart business owners to go on a creative streak to customize the paper bags to their liking. Some of the options include adding glittering effect, adding custom stickers, and adding fancy-looking strings. Doing this is not possible on plastic shopping bags. Paper grocery bags even support adding foil to enhance the overall look of the company logo and message. This significantly creates brand awareness and beauty.
Thickness
Paper bags are made from various materials including cardboard. This material is extremely thick compared to plastic bags. You can get paper grocery bags from robust and flexible cardboard with the strength to match your needs. Jewelry shops, retail stores, and bakery shops usually use cardboard shopping bags. These bags are thick with a plush look to define your brand backed by an incomparable mesmerizing look and feel.
Innovativeness
There has been a significant change in the production process of paper shopping bags. The market today has more than the simple bags with a flat or twisted handle. And, luxury paper grocery bags now come with sophisticated reinforcement at the top and bottom with various handle options. Paper bags are available without gussets for small or large bags with big bottoms for holding plates and boxes horizontally for use in pastry shops, to carry pizza, and take away.
Application of adhesive tape on plate or twisted handles allows making paper gift bags that support various items. A folded top using low weight paper uses about 6 to 10 percent less material compared to other types of carrier bags. It is so easy to find versatile paper grocery bags with exceptional quality to replace plastic paper bags.
Less environmental impact
People also love paper shopping bags for having less environmental impact compared to plastic counterparts. Plastic takes centuries to dissolve when in a landfill. Alternatively, paper bags decompose much faster and easier. It requires UV rays to destroy plastic bags before they can biodegrade. This takes about 500 to 1,000 years. Additionally, it takes about 12 million oil barrels to produce plastic bags in the USA according to the Environmental Protection Agency. So let’s make this world plastic free to save our environment.
Protection of marine life
The Conservation International Organization points out that plastic litter including plastic bags kills marine animals in thousands annually. According to the EnviroLiteracy website, plastic bags block entrance to the stomach causing starvation in various marine animals including minke whales, sea turtles, and sea birds. These animals confuse plastic bags for jellyfish and other food.
So, they actively eat them when spotted from a distance harming their lives. Paper bags biodegrade much faster when in landfills. This limits the chances of ending up in the sea to get eaten by marine animals. Besides, paper bags have no harmful effect on animals when consumed, unlike plastic bags.
Recyclability
Lastly, paper grocery bags are loved for their recyclability. These are made from fiber or partially recyclable paper. According to research by MSNBC, paper bags contain about 35 percent recycled material with some manufacturers using more than that. So, paper bags are recycled when discard to create new bags. This saves resources while protecting the environment.
Plastic bags are harder to recycle for clogging machines and complicating the whole process. Even without recycling, paper bags are easily disposed of in the environment. It is so easy to tear the paper bag into tiny pierces for adding to a compost pile. Here, the paper will biodegrade to contribute to soil formation. This can’t be said for plastic bags whose presence in the soil is very destructive for limit water from reaching the lower layers.
Wrapping up
There is a growing shift in the use of paper shopping bags. Apart from their eco-friendliness, these bags have an astonishing look and feel that makes a huge impact on shoppers.
