Every day during this challenge, I've tried to discover more about recycling. I was surprised to read this about paper bags. We all know that plastic is terrible for the environment, and that plastic bags, in particular, are clogging up our oceans, choking our wildlife and generally wreaking havoc on the world. Because of this, and because the paper bag industry has positioned itself as the solution for decades now, we rarely stop to ask a critical question: Is paper actually that much better? The truth is, no. It's not. Paper does a lot of damage to the Earth as well, and every time we unthinkingly grab a few bags at the checkout counter, we contribute to that damage. A study by the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2011 revealed that it takes more than four times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to manufacture a plastic bag.
The answer to "Paper or plastic?" should actually be "Neither...I brought my own." (Even now when we can't always bring in our own bags, a few of our zoo volunteers taking this challenge provided a solution. Just have the groceries placed in your cart and then use your own bags when you get to your car! So appreciative of this great idea!)