You've filled up your cart and made it to the front of the grocery line when you're confronted with yet another choice: what kind of bag should you use?
If you've seen the images of plastic bags strewn across the ocean, it might seem obvious that plastic is bad for the environment.
Surely a paper bag or a cotton tote would be the better option.
But is that really true?
Each of these three materials has a unique environmental impact that's determined by its carbon footprint, its potential to be reused and recycled, and its degradability.
So, to get the full story on these grocery bags we need to look at how they're made, how they're used, and where they ultimately go.
Let's start with plastic.
The typical thin and flimsy plastic bag is made of high-density polyethylene, commonly known as HDPE.
Producing this material requires extracting petroleum from the ground and applying extreme heat.
The resulting polymer resin is then transported alongside additional ingredients like titanium oxide and chalk to a bag manufacturing plant.
