Paige Mertens
Mr. Reuter
Economics
September 7, 2014
Paper or Plastic?
I work at a local Pick N Save as a cashier. Each time a customer checks out, the bagger will ask, “Paper or plastic?” In the “old days” customers had one choice for packing their groceries; a paper bag. In the 70’s a new option became available in the form of a plastic bag. Past or present, the choice at the grocery store is paper or plastic.
Plastic bags are a less expensive fixed cost to grocery stores. These bags have less production costs over paper bags. Additionally paper bag manufacturing uses many of our natural resources including trees, and water. The process of making paper also emits a great deal of pollution. All these factors increase the cost of the bag.
Initially the plastic bag was thought to be a great, cost savings option for grocery stores, and in turn shoppers. Over time, concerns arose about plastic bags arose as well. Plastic bags were also found not to be good for the enviromment. Not only did people litter with them, but this littering was dangerous to animals. One of the biggest concerns with plastic bags is the inability to effectively recycle the bags. A plastic bag can take at least 500 years to biodegrade, filling landfills.
In July, 2011 Los Angeles County’s, “bag ban” went into effect. Stores could not use plastic bags for groceries, but instead could sell the shopper a paper bag at a cost of 10 cents, sell the shopper a reusable bag, or the shopper could bring in their own bag. A year later through a You Tube video, Pam Villareal from the National Center for Policy Analysis, outlined the economic impact of the ban. The ban did not affect all stores within LA County. Therefore some shoppers choose to continue to go to stores where plastic bags were in use (incorprated), and paper bags were not a charge:
The analysis showed that stores with the plastic bag ban saw a drop in revenue of 5.7%, and staffing decrease/job loss of 10.4%. In contrast the stores without the ban had increased sales/gains of 9%, and increase job growth of 2.5%. Another unexpected cost to the stores was an increased number of lost and/or stolen carts and baskets. Apparently shoppers “borrowed” these items to help get their groceries home. Perhaps a positive aspect of the bag ban for stores in revenue generations to help cover the cost of the bags, and through selling reusable bags. Despite economic concerns over the bag ban, this week the Governor of California announced his plans to sign a bill banning plastic bags throughout California.
Who would ever have thought the decision between paper or plastic would be such a difficult one? As you consider the question, you must think about the environment as well as your personal beliefs. Production of plastic and paper bags use several valuable environmental resources including trees, water, petrolium. Each plastic bag we send to a landfill will stay in that land fill until our great, great, great, great, great, great grandchild is born.
As someone that values the environment, I personally feel that I can easily purchase and use reusable bags for all my shopping needs. The choice is yours. Next time you are asked, “Paper or plastic,” reflect on your personal beliefs and perhaps your answer will be, “Neither. I brought my own bag.”
McGrath, Jane. howstuffworks. n.d. 7 9 2014 <http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/paper-plastic1.htm>.
Yahoo! News. 5 9 2014. 6 9 2014 <http://news.yahoo.com/california-first-us-state-ban-plastic-bags-064643573.html>.
You Tube. 22 8 2012. 6 9 2014 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPVScJYcbzo>.
As a grocery store employee myself, I can vouch on the topic of plastic bags being wasted. Many people get plastic bags for one or two items, and others ask for their items double bagged. Despite the plastic bags being much easier to pack and carry, the amount that they are wasted is insane. Also, as Paige said, it takes a very long time for plastic bags to biodegrade, so they are not environmentally friendly. I personally believe that we should all use reusable canvas bags, because they are easier to carry, and they are also much more environmentally friendly.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your posting about paper or plastic as it really brought good insight into the world of environmental issues and how they can relate to economics. But I do have one recommendation to make this posting from a good one to a high quality one. That would be to bring more of an analysis into why choosing to bring your own is better for the environment and a better economical choice. While you did say that you hope we choose to bring our own, there was not much of a reasoning for this. I did find myself agreeing with you, as I had to come to my own conclusion about why I would choose to bring my own bag. Adding just this one little analysis would bring this already good posting into the area of a high quality one.
ReplyDeletePaige, you bring up a really good point here. I definitely agree with you that this is actually an important crisis in circulation. Recycling, like you mentioned, is one way to salvage these paper bags without hurting the environment. Paper bags can also be utilized for many other things like storage in your house, and plastic bags can be used as trash bags as well. Although the plastic bags are harmful to the environment, we still can recycle it and play a vital role in the improvement of the world around us. I know at Costco, since items are generally larger, they are plainly placed in the cart without needing to be bagged. Though this method won't work at all grocery stores, operating like this in wholesale stores can definitely play a huge part in the protection of the environment. Although plastic bags are a cost savings option, is it really worth hurting the environment? It is, as we all know, inevitable to stop the production of these items, but you bring up a really good point of reusable bags. Almost every time my mom goes to the store, she takes many eco-friendly reusable bags with her. These bags are both highly functional in transporting your grocery items from the store to your car, and then into your house. These eco-friendly reusable grocery bags are usually only 99 cents and actually hold quite an amount of items. So, I personally agree with you, in that, to play our very important role in the preservation of the world's environment, reusable bags are the way to go.
ReplyDeleteI can tell that you feel very strongly about this topic, and the information that you bring up is very interesting, especially about how long these bags stay in the landfills. However, I know that these plastic bags have a lot of household purposes, and if we were to ban plastic bags at large consumer stores, what about plastic garbage bags, and plastic sandwich bags? I know these particular items aren't such an issue because there just aren't as many of them circulating the environment, but maybe there's a bigger issue here at hand than just the trash thrown out by shoppers of Pick n' Save. Also- why do you think that the governor would consider banning the bags throughout California if they decreased revenue? I guess if he banned them everywhere, people wouldn't be able to just get their plastic bags and groceries from the next store, but overall, I think this might be a risky economic decision. Overall though, I think you make a good point, the environment effects of plastic bags do probably outweigh their benefit.
ReplyDeleteMy family stocks multiple reusable bags in each of our cars. I completely agree that reusable bags are the way to go. I never really thought about it before, but plastic bags are wasted. I used to have 1 plastic bag filled with at least 30 other plastic bags. Of course, my family does try to get a couple uses out of the plastic bags that we get by using them for garbage bags in the bathrooms. But still ! The plastic bags always and inevitably end up in the trash. Whenever I see the commercials of animals that have been suffocated by the plastic bags thrown into the ocean, it's heartbreaking. I think that every store should do the reusable bag and move on from the issue.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog entry upon the subject of paper or plastic bags because it brings up a point many of us don't focus on. No, I am not a fellow grocery employee as I work elsewhere so I don't think about how much we use plastic bags since it is not a larger element in my life. However, I am now suddenly aware of that large plastic bag in my home filled with more plastic bags that are waiting to be used before they then thrown away and sent into a landfill to lay waste to the environment. I find it interesting how much the usage of plastic versus paper bags economically actually does indeed lay out and that it isn't just a "given." I find that these eco-friendly bags would also be more beneficial as they would eliminate the excess waste and would be more efficient as they will not tear as easily as their plastic or paper counterparts. Therefore I personally agree with you that these small things should be considered more as they add up to one larger whole.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen ever I go to the grocery store and if they ask me for paper or plastic, I always say plastic. There more durable. But now reading this article and seeing that a plastic bag takes 500 years to biodegrade thats crazy. They not only take a long time to degrade but they are also hurting the environment. Also paper bags are forcing trees to be cut down. When reading this article it is changing my mind on weather is would say paper or plastic. From now on i'm going to buy my own reusable bags so that I'm not hurting our environment.
ReplyDeleteMitchell Brown - Honestly, I think its best to bring your own bag. They bags are Eco-friendly, they don't harm the wildlife and they don't use up thousands of trees worth in paper. As well, these fabric bags are a lot stronger. Often times, I see people doubling up on plastic bags, or taking a mix of paper and plastic. This is an outrage, because for every plastic bag taken from a grocery store, there is a plastic bag ending up in a land fill. So personally, I think it is best to go the reusable bag route, its cheaper in the long run, more environmental friendly and can decrease solution rates world wide. Next time, don't leave it for debate, just bring your own bag.
ReplyDeletePaige, before reading your post I knew that plastic bags weren't good for our environment, but I had no clue it took 500 years for them biodegrade! I think that more should be done to show the world the harms of using these products. However, there will still be many people who do know and simply don’t care. Due to this, it may be a good idea for other states to follow California’s lead and ban plastic bags altogether. That way it will push people towards bringing their own eco-friendly reusable bags rather than having to carry around the flimsy paper bags. I myself will definitely make an effort to start bringing my own bags to the grocery store.
ReplyDeleteDear Paige, as a former Pick N Save Employee I found your post very interesting. Something we were told at Pick N Save when I worked there was that if a customer did not care what kind of bag they had we were to always give them plastic bags because it was cheaper for the economy. I believe that Gayathri is right when she says reusable bags are the best because they are environmentally friendly. This is true but also economically speaking reusable bags might be better. If a company does not have to pay for bags to give to their customers for free they may be able to lower food prices. Look at Aldi, they do not provide free bags and some of their food prices are lower than at Pick N Save. Although reusable bags might be ideal the reality is that sometimes people forget or sometimes people just don’t care and then it comes down to choosing between the lesser evils. I personally believe that lesser of the evils is a paper bag. While paper bags use some natural resources and emit some pollution they also have their benefits. Paper bags are bigger and fit more groceries than plastic bags, therefore less paper bags need to be made than plastic bags and then they emit less pollution. Additionally if it takes five paper bags to bag a grocer order then it will most likely take ten or twelve plastic bags then it is possible that the cost of the more plastic bags was close to the cost for less paper bags. In conclusion while reusable bags are the ideal, paper bags are the lesser of the two evils.
ReplyDeleteLike many other households, there is a collection of plastic bags where one is used to hold all the other plastic bags that we have filling up our house. Usually when my family goes grocery shopping we just use plastic bags for their ease of use and being able to carry ten bags at a time because of the handles and the durability of the plastic bags. However, upon reading how much these plastic bags negatively impact our environment, I think next time go to the store I’ll use my own bags, or ask for paper.
ReplyDeleteHey Paige! The topic of bags at stores is an interesting subject. On one hand, like you said, plastic bags are harmful to animals, but paper bags are harmful to trees. I think that the option to use reusable cloth bags is a really good idea. For starters they won't rip as easily as plastic or even paper bags do, eliminating the need for multiple bags, and they also hold quite a bit more than the other bag options do. Personally, my family tries to cut down on our use of plastic bags by reusing them around the house or by using reusable bags when possible. Your post has certainly helped me to see the economic impact the simple choice of which bag to use has on the environment and economy.
ReplyDeletePaige, I found your blog regarding the choice between paper and plastic bags to be quite interesting, considering I go shopping quite a lot. I had always known that plastic bags weren't necessarily good for the environment, but had no clue they were that bad. The fact that the plastic bags can take up to 500 years in landfills to biodegrade is fascinating, yet depressing. I found it interesting though that the stores in California that stopped using plastic bags had such a drop in customers. Are people really that inconsiderate? Anyway, next time I go to the grocery store, or just shopping in general, I’ll definitely try to reuse my bags.
ReplyDeleteVisaya Phattaphone
ReplyDeleteLike millions of Americans, I shop for my groceries at the grocery store. Whenever I'm asked the question "Paper or plastic?" I always go with plastic since like many other individuals have stated, plastic bags are more durable and provide convenience. Over the past few weeks when I'm at the grocery store, I've started to notice that the plastic bags are becoming thinner and less durable before. Are the bags becoming cheaper in quality because they're cheaper to manufacture? I don't know. But after reading this article and taking all factors into consideration its amazing to finally realize that we all should've gone with paper. Yes paper bags utilize trees and we know that trees are scarce, but we all know plastic bags are made from oils and plastics and as well all know, those materials are renewable.
I agree that this a valid concern because like you said, plastic bags can take centuries to bio-degrade. I feel like this information alone would cause people to realize that paper bags are the way to go, but as you said when only paper was offered revenue dropped by 5.7%, now that there are stores that sell reusable bags, it’s possible those sales could make up the lost revenue allowing the store to still be environmentally friendly while making a profit.
ReplyDeleteThe choice is between more or less money. Me, I'm choosing more money. The world in 200 years (we will all be dead) will run out of coal at our current consumption. Saving money to maybe experiment on new things or maybe the paper bags not used will go towards giving the employes more money. Sounds good to me.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this I definitely have a different perspective of the limited options being given to me. With both paper and plastic bags we are hurting the environment in some way. However, I do think the bag ban is slightly more beneficial. Although trees need to be cut down to produce these bags it has become more common practice to replant any tree that has been taken down. The downside to the ban as that it does hurt people who work in the plastic industry.
ReplyDeleteI have never really given the decision between paper and plastic a second thought. I never really cared about what kind of bag my purchase was in. You would think that the ban in Los Angeles County would have been good, but really those who chose to help the environment were hurt economically. There has to be a better solution, in order for the stores to benefit. It’s also kind of wierd to think that those who chose to ban bags had baskets and carts stolen, it just seems like a weird thing to do. The next time I’m in the store I won’t get a bag or I will bring my own, which I hope others start doing after reading this post, because not only can we save the environment, we can also help save the stores money. There is no need to change stores just because they are trying to better the environment.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Van Altena
I guess the trade off for each bag really depend on the consumer because ultimately it is what they want. Plastic Bags are easier to carry and smaller. Paper bags can be used for many more items. Economically though, it's all trade offs, do we choose cheaper and more plentiful? or a safer environment? Although there is pollution in paper bags it's there in plastic and since paper can be recycled a lot of bags use that method. Most paper products are partly recycled. Since everything is stuck in a never ending tug of war in the economy, stores won't be changing.
ReplyDeleteI have never really thought of the impact that plastic vs. paper bags can have employment and the economy. I thought that it was interesting that employment and revenue rose when bags were banned in stores. I think that it should be up to the consumer whether or not they want to use reusable bags or paper or plastic. Paper and plastic bags do have drawbacks on the environment, for example plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose. I think that out of paper and plastic bags more people should use paper because it is a renewable resource that is better for the environment.
ReplyDeletePaige, you bring up a really interesting topic, as society has taken movements toward becoming more environmentally conscious. As a former cashier at Sentry Foods in Delafield, I too know the in’s and out’s of the grocery store atmosphere. In my opinion, sales went down after the ban was imposed, not out of an act of stubbornness, per se, but maybe because of the inconvenience. Let’s face it, no one likes grocery shopping--we all like to get in and get out as quickly as possible. When in a hurry, customers do not want to deal with purchasing more than they already need or want, so they simply took their business elsewhere where. I guess the marginal cost of remembering to bring reusable bags back or carrying awkward-shaped, bulky paper bags doesn’t outweigh the marginal benefit of having a quick grocery shopping experience. I am not saying that I support adding to our landfills, but I do see their point of view.
ReplyDeleteIn actuality, however, I would have to agree with Claire and Gayathri that reusable bags are the best choices, both economically and environmentally. Economically, by switching to reusable bags only, the grocery store would not have to buy the thousands of bags every month, but might actually profit by selling their own reusable bags. Environmentally, reusable bags reduce the number of plastic bags going into our landfills. Theoretically though, it’s a win-win situation.
This article was interesting mainly due to the fact that plastic bags are banned in certain places. It makes sense however because the average household goes to get groceries between 1-3 times a week, taking home about 10 bags worth of food then each week. Now 10 bags times how many hundreds of thousands of people mean a whole lot of bags, bags that will probably be thrown away or saved for making high school text book covers ("hobo style"). Throwing away all that in paper bags is bad enough, but in plastic bags that won't just decompose when it gets wet? That's just wasteful. Now sure, even though my family tried to keep it to using paper bags when given the choice, we go get paper for cold things or meats so the moisture won't eat through the bag. Maybe reusable bags are the way our grocery shoppers should be heading, if only they could remember to bring them each time they went shopping.
ReplyDeleteI understand that plastic bags are bad for the environment, hence the ban, but they're easy to replace when you're using them for groceries. But that's just the thing, plastic bags aren't only used for carrying groceries. As Sara Sandlass commented earlier, plastic bags have different uses. My family uses them for the trash, as ziploc bags in lunches, or as my dogs toilet. You can use reusable bags in grocery stores. But I can't use a reusable bag for my trash, or for cleaning up after my dogs. In conclusion, I agree that using reusable bags for groceries is the smart way to go. But if getting rid of plastic bags in stores is the first step, then is getting rid of them completely the final goal? If so, what would the replacement be for their everyday use besides holding our groceries? And might I just add, that paying for a grocery bag is ridiculous! Paying for groceries costs me enough already!
ReplyDeletePaige - the topic that you bring up is really interesting, and I completely agree with how controversial you think it is, as I have seen many statements about the debate between paper and plastic on the news more than once. I don’t personally grocery shop for my family, but I go with my mom sometimes and she also brings her own bags as you do, and I agree with the decision and would do the same thing that both you and her do. I don’t want the Earth to die out! I want to have the environment stay healthy and last for as long as it can. While plastic bags seem like the easiest choice to make, I think it is the worst choice to make. Plastic bags damage the environment more than paper bags do; they can be reused, but they cannot be recycled as paper bags can. You bring up a very good argument, and I feel very reluctant to have this controversy be brought up to the front of my mind and to be allowed to think about this topic.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this post because I too, infact work at Pick N Save. It is interesting to me that the stores that have banned plastic bags saw a drop in revenue and employment, but it really isn’t too shocking. I could understand why these stores are losing their employees and customers. No one wants to always have to bring in their own bags, or even have to pay for their own bags. It’s a hassle to always try and remember the bags, and you are already paying for the products in their stores, so why pay more for something to carry those products home in? I think using reusable bags is a great way to help improve the environment, but we need a more cost effective way for the consumers to purchase these reusable bags.
ReplyDeletePaige, it's an interesting topic to bring up, especially with a lot of people focusing on more environmentally friendly lifestyles. It's also a very relatable topic because I'm sure everyone has been asked "paper or plastic?" when going to a grocery store. I wonder why some people choose paper and why some choose plastic? I know that for my family, we have a plastic bag filled with plastic bags we reuse for trash or shopping, and we use paper bags for recycle occasionally. I understand the argument from both sides, whether paper or plastic is better, but personally I think reuseable bags would be better. If everyone used reusable bags, then there would be no need for the argument between plastic versus paper. However, people would then argue about which reusable bag would be more environmentally friendly, so I think the argument is unavoidable, but still interesting and relatable.
ReplyDeletePaige, I liked reading your post because it really brought something that I had never took time thinking about. It's true that normally people ask for a plastic bag even though they only have one item. This isn't only a waste as it also creates an accumulation of plastic bags in the house. I say this because in my house we have a lot of plastic bags. Of course we still reuse some but most of the times we forget and when we go shopping we just ask for more. I totally agree that the environment should be a concern, I didn't know that plastic bags took that long to biodegrade. It was very interesting to read and see your point of view.
ReplyDeletePaige, this an interesting topic to bring up, as it can inspire a lot of debate. Many people would argue that it is not the government of California's place to tell them what kind of bag they can or cannot use, but other's would say that if the government does not intervene then the environment will suffer. It all goes back to how much the government should be involved in a mixed economy. Clearly the people of Los Angeles County think the government should have a larger say. I would be curious to see a poll of how people view the bag ban and how the opinion changes over time because some people may get sick of paying for their bags or having to bring their own.
ReplyDeleteI thought you did a good job stating the differences between the environmental effects of paper and plastic bags. I thought it was interesting how some stores stopped using plastic bags in order to try and be more environmentally friendly but they negatively effected the economy by losing business. I would be interested to see what the effects of giving out reusable bags or not using paper bags would be.
ReplyDeleteOn this topic I am very contradicted like I can see in your reading, you are too. Yes paper bag are extremely bad for the environment, regarding the decomposition rate in the landfills. But, I am sure I am not alone on this, but my household re-uses our plastic bags for things like groceries and carrying things to and from school, and cleaning out things, donating clothes to goodwill etc. Even though they do end up being thrown away eventually, they came to use “free” from purchasing goods at places like wal-mart or shopping malls. I would rather do that, then pay for a reusable bag. Also, if it was required to only offer the option of paper, then the prices of selected groceries would increase so the store can pay for the bags. Overall, there are many different ways to look at this topic, but you have your opinion, I have mine, and the next person has theirs. Overall, I liked your writing, and how you associated yourself with the issue, as well as telling us the small effects and the big picture effects. Well done Paige!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that your family reuses paper bags is very encouraging and responsible. I had never thought of reusing paper bags, but it seems like a great alternative if you don't have reusable canvas bags. Ultimately, even if reusing them though, they should be recycled in the end rather than being thrown away to help minimize the negative effects it may have on the environment.
DeleteI found this post to be quite interesting because I had never truly thought about the impact that paper and plastic bags can make on the environment. The outbreak of reusable bags in many different stores was clearly evident, however, I think usually people decide against buying them because obviously then they save money. If there was a way to make sure you never forgot to bring your reusable bags, it would make things easier. Having said that, with reading just how bad both paper and plastic bags are for the environment, this post makes me want to try to be “greener” and more responsible by purchasing a few reusable bags and trying to remember to bring them because every little bit helps.
ReplyDeleteFirst - does EVERYONE'S family really just have a container of plastic bags at their house for some reason? Not just mine? I mean, my mom collects the bags so they can be used at her store among other things, but I didn't think that literally everyone's families saved their plastic grocery bags. And nobody finds this weird?
ReplyDeleteSecond, why is it so hard to recycle plastic bags? Is the process just too inefficient to be worth it? If it is, that doesn't mean they can't still be re-used. Just tell people they can get a little money by bringing their plastic grocery bags to recycling centers, like with cans, and re-use the bags that get turned it. If everybody has a random stockpile of plastic bags in their house, then it shouldn't be that hard for people to collect enough bags to make the amount of money they could get worth the trip to turn the bags in. Profit all around. :D
Paige is right though. Re-usable bags are probably the best solution. We just need to get people more motivated to use them. Maybe a Kohl's card type deal? Bring your own bag, get x% off for future purchases? Not only do you motivate people to bring their own bag, but then you force them to keep coming back to utilize the % off deal. Win-win.
Paige, your post was really interesting about the debate over paper and plastic bags. I have always seen both of these options of being very bad for the environment, because they either are the reason for our natural resources being used for selfish purposes, as we see with the paper bag, or they can suffocate animals if they are to drift into the wild as we see with plastic. Personally I am that person that brings my own bag if it is for smaller items because I do believe that it is a positive economic choice, but I do see why people fall on other options. Whether it be because other bags are free, or they can use them for garbage or something like that, it does have it’s cost on the environment, and this was a very good topic to write about.
ReplyDeletePaige, your post is a great eye opener for many that read it. To think that this occurred in California of all places is a big step in what I hope is the right decision. Finding out that after almost 3 years that the ban went into effect, that the governor banned the use of plastic bags throughout the state is incredible. I look forward to seeing the impact that this has on the state.
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