Conveniently enough, just as retailers have found plastic bags to be a better option than paper bags, so too have consumers. The numbers speak for themselves: according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans use 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, and the American Forest and Paper Association estimates that Americans use 10 billion paper shopping bags each year.

While this preference is gradually changing in light of environmental concerns and the increased use of reusable cloth bags, plastic shopping bags still offer two key benefits:

• Plastic bags are more durable than paper bags. They are less prone to tearing, easier to carry, and are far more useful in the rain.
• Plastic bags are reusable for a variety of purposes, with many people using them as trashcan liners or to pack and store miscellaneous items. Plastic bags last considerably longer than plastic bags and be rinsed out and repurposed, unlike paper bags.

For more information, contact Atlantic Poly.

Green Living