Comments on: Paper or Plastic? http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/12/13/paper-or-plastic/ Explore science, nature and environment stories from Northern California and beyond with KQED’s multimedia series Thu, 24 May 2012 05:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mary Lou Van Deventer http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/12/13/paper-or-plastic/#comment-11027 Mary Lou Van Deventer Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:28:22 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/12/13/paper-or-plastic/#comment-11027 What the plastics industry knows but dares not say is that plastics normally break down in the natural environment. Think of a child's big-wheel bike left in the sun. Its plastic thins, becomes brittle, and breaks. Where did the molecules go? "Water" in the Pacific's plastic gyre contains more plastic molecules than H20. On land and at sea, plastic bags escape control, then blow around, choking and killing animals that try to swallow them by mistake, from dairy cows to wildlife. The bags use precious fossil resources to create a short-lived usefulness and long-lived pollution problem. Brown paper bags are sturdier and degrade easily into substances that critters and soil love. But let's save the trees and use cloth to let our great-granchildren enjoy a nice planet too. What the plastics industry knows but dares not say is that plastics normally break down in the natural environment. Think of a child's big-wheel bike left in the sun. Its plastic thins, becomes brittle, and breaks. Where did the molecules go? "Water" in the Pacific's plastic gyre contains more plastic molecules than H20. On land and at sea, plastic bags escape control, then blow around, choking and killing animals that try to swallow them by mistake, from dairy cows to wildlife. The bags use precious fossil resources to create a short-lived usefulness and long-lived pollution problem. Brown paper bags are sturdier and degrade easily into substances that critters and soil love. But let's save the trees and use cloth to let our great-granchildren enjoy a nice planet too.

]]> By: S Tokoloshi http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/12/13/paper-or-plastic/#comment-11026 S Tokoloshi Sat, 22 Dec 2007 10:32:41 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/12/13/paper-or-plastic/#comment-11026 Charge 35 cents for each bag. Immediately customers bring their own long-term bags. This works in Ireland. Plastic bag litter has ceased. "Plastic vs Paper" is a red herring argument, perhaps invented by industry lobbyists. Charge 35 cents for each bag.
Immediately customers bring their own long-term bags. This works in Ireland. Plastic bag litter has ceased.

"Plastic vs Paper" is a red herring argument, perhaps invented by industry lobbyists.

]]> By: Shiloh A. http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/12/13/paper-or-plastic/#comment-11025 Shiloh A. Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:27:42 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/12/13/paper-or-plastic/#comment-11025 The fact that brown bags don't break down in our landfills points to a problem with our landfills and not the bags. Plastic never breaks down. If and when these dumps do see the light of day and the elements, the paper will degrade while the plastic will drift around the planet negatively impacting wildlife. The Pacific Gyre is a scary example of this where plastic from around the world collects forming a massive and deadly hazard for turtles, fish, and birds. The fact that brown bags don't break down in our landfills points to a problem with our landfills and not the bags. Plastic never breaks down. If and when these dumps do see the light of day and the elements, the paper will degrade while the plastic will drift around the planet negatively impacting wildlife. The Pacific Gyre is a scary example of this where plastic from around the world collects forming a massive and deadly hazard for turtles, fish, and birds.

]]> By: Tania Levy http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/12/13/paper-or-plastic/#comment-11024 Tania Levy Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:27:43 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/12/13/paper-or-plastic/#comment-11024 A study published in 1990 (with even older data) is useless to predict current bag recycling and use impacts. In the past SEVENTEEN years, recycling collection has increased dramatically, as has technology for making bags with recycled content. The bron paper shopping bags used in San Francisco are required to contain at least 40% post consumer recycled, and 100% total recycled fiber. They are made by Duro bag, in Arizona from recycled brown bags and cardboard boxes, at a modern facility with very low impacts, including glues and inks. See www.DUROBAG.COM. Cardboard's recycling rate is over 80%. Any valid comparison of paper and plastic bag whole-life-impacts MUST take that into consideration. Berkeley is looking at a plastic bag ban also, tho different from San Francisco's, and we are doing the background research. A study published in 1990 (with even older data) is useless to predict current bag recycling and use impacts. In the past SEVENTEEN years, recycling collection has increased dramatically, as has technology for making bags with recycled content.

The bron paper shopping bags used in San Francisco are required to contain at least 40% post consumer recycled, and 100% total recycled fiber. They are made by Duro bag, in Arizona from recycled brown bags and cardboard boxes, at a modern facility with very low impacts, including glues and inks. See http://www.DUROBAG.COM. Cardboard's recycling rate is over 80%. Any valid comparison of paper and plastic bag whole-life-impacts MUST take that into consideration.

Berkeley is looking at a plastic bag ban also, tho different from San Francisco's, and we are doing the background research.

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