Plastic has become an essential part of human life by being used in many forms such as bags, toys, and even disposable utensils. Be it the urban area of the country or rural places, plastic shopping bags can be seen everywhere in their different forms and quality. However, what might seem useful or a part of everyday life is harmful for the environment and other living beings on the planet Earth. This is the reason why the government in different nations has banned the use of plastic bags for shopping. To deal with the ban on the plastic shopping bags, governments came with other shopping bags as an alternative. Paper bags are one of the options and happen to have both good and bad effect on shopping.

Durability

When it comes to durability and strength, paper bags seem to lose the battle often with plastic bags. Things like vegetables and grocery packaging in glass and plastic bottles are difficult to carry in paper bags. The handles in paper bags are practically of no use because they cannot carry the weight of everything packed inside. Although, fruits and vegetables remain fresh for longer when carried in a paper bag as compared to plastic bags.

Manufacturing

Where paper bags are referred eco-friendly and better for an environment in their final form, their manufacturing uses more energy, than their counter plastic bags, making the former less eco-friendly in its processing stage. On the other hand, they are biodegradable and can be easily discomposed causing no harm to the environment and thus shedding guilt off the consumers if they use the bag only one time.

Cost

Plastic bags comes free with every shopping regardless of the amount and the quantity of their shopping, whereas paper bags can be chargeable to the customers because of the cost the store owner or the shop keeper has to pay for them. This adds to the shopping expense of customers and affects the goodwill of the shopkeepers with their repeat customers. However, paper bag comes in different colors and prints, and can be made from old newspapers and magazines.

Reusable

In contrast to the common belief that paper bags can be recycled, not all paper bags can be recycled. Especially the brown paper bags used for shopping are the most complicated to be recycled. Therefore, consumers are encouraged to reuse the paper bags because they can be easily decomposed after multiple uses. Re-using paper bags is not as convenient as it sounds as they tend to tear apart on repeated use and this rather discourages consumers from reusing paper bags for shopping. However, paper bags can have other innovative use such as kites, origami practice sheets, and other craftwork for children.

Paper bags have seem to have won the environmental battle against plastic bags but after being habitual to plastic for decades, people find it difficult to make a sudden shift to paper bags. However, the shift is in the favor of the environment and the planet, which eventually will benefits the humans as well.