# paper or plastic? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 8, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872 "2003-05-08T10:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![caramelcutie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8797f3/32.png) [@caramelcutie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caramelcutie)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/1 "2003-05-08T10:32:52Z")
when you’re ready to check out at the grocery store and the bagger asks you that age old question…paper or plastic, which do you prefer and why? ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/2 "2003-05-08T10:53:24Z")
I always said paper, when they offered it, but nobody does here anymore. Don’t know why. And I’m not even sure why I picked paper; it’s more biodegradable, but on the eco-scale it fails, too, b/c of all those trees…but the plastic lasts forever and strangles tiny penguins, or something…God, what’s a girl to do? I just re-use them. And/or then take them back for recycling, if I remember. Salves my conscience a bit, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/3 "2003-05-08T11:01:07Z")
They don’t ask. They just use plastic unless I specifically ask for paper. But I do ask for paper sometimes. I re-use all of my grocery bags. I use the plasic ones for cleaning up after Spot the Wonderpup on walks. I use the paper ones as paper recycling bins, storage bags, wrapping paper, and various other uses. (I should note that my town’s paper recycling requrements are that mixed paper is to be bundled. They accept a paper bag full of paper, which is way more convenient than stacking and tying, and results in me recycling practically all my mixed paper, not just that which can be easily stacked.) I used to bring my own cloth bags, but then I had to buy plastic bags to clean up after Spot and I was always wishing I had a paper bag. Now I let the grocery store give me bags for free. I see it as a bonus! But I don’t take bags for things that I can carry easily without a bag, like a bottle of bleach. I also avoid taking bags from any store if I don’t need a bag, like if I’m buying one item that can be thrown in my shoulder bag. I re-use roughly the same amount of bags that I bring home, so I manage to avoid the dreaded bag overflow. So if I’m running low on paper bags, I’ll get paper. Otherwise, I’ll get plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/4 "2003-05-08T12:13:34Z")
I generally take the plastic, watching to make sure they use as few as possible, as those suckers multiply like rabbits in my kitchen drawer. They’re easier for me to carry, and when I get too many, I can take them down to the Kroger near me and turn them back in again - or the used bookstore near me takes them as well. ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/5 "2003-05-08T12:50:21Z")
I bring my own bag 🙂 it’s durable plastic, or linen i’m environmental friendly (well, my behaviour is, anyway) ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/6 "2003-05-11T06:18:12Z")
It’s my impression that if you shop at Wally-World like we do, you don’t have a choice – it’s plastic all the way. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/7 "2003-05-11T07:16:21Z")
Paper IN plastic. So the bags don’t roll around with stuff spilling out when I drive. I use both: plastic for doggie poop, and bags for wrapping packages or recycling. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/8 "2003-05-11T21:49:21Z")
Preference is for the paper-plastic combo, for the reason **Violet** gave. I reused paper for mixed-paper recycling, a la **green bean** , and collect the plastic till I’ve got a big ol’ bunch of them then take that bag back to the story for recycling. (Whether they actually do or not, my conscience is salved.) I also used some paper-plastic combos at work to save empty pop cans (paper to stand up, plastic to make it easier to carry), then recycle those bags after they get too funky to reuse. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/9 "2003-05-11T22:08:02Z")
Having worked in a grocery store, I always go with plastic if presented with a choice. As a cashier/bagger, I always found plastic easier to deal with, and I had burning, white-hot hate for folks like \*\* Violet \*\* (sorry!) who wanted things double, or fancily bagged. (I prided myself on my stable bagging regardless of material.) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/10 "2003-05-11T23:24:22Z")
I insist on paper, the kind with handles. Mostly because they do stand up better. That’s pretty easy because I usually (always) bring my bags back with me. I think baggers don’t like it, but that’s tough. Right **Lissa**? 🙂 If you don’t have paper, you don’t get my business. Simple, huh. So my reasons are part selfish, and part generous. Oh, and sometimes I almost have to fight the bagger _not_ to double bag. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/11 "2003-05-12T00:22:34Z")
Either. I’m bisacksual. ---
**Author:** ![psychomonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@psychomonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychomonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/12 "2003-05-12T00:26:24Z")
I prefer cloth bags when of it, and when I dont, plastic. There was an article on this I read that basically said if theres a place to recycle plastic bags, do it. Otherwise, use paper. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/13 "2003-05-12T01:02:06Z")
When they say, “Paper or plastic?” I have to think about whether they’re talking about the bag or the money. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/14 "2003-05-12T06:52:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\*I think baggers don’t like it, but that’s tough. Right **Lissa**? 🙂 \*\* People who work in a grocery store have a tough time, anyway. They’re used to it. In my experience, 95% of customers were fine with simple plastic, considering that I bagged things well. Then, along would come a member of that other 5%. Your choice of plastic inside paper didn’t come up often. Most of the two-type requests were paper inside the plastic bag, because our bags didn’t have handles. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paper-or-plastic/173872/15 "2003-05-12T07:28:43Z")
Depends on which grocery store I go to - one is a bag your own store and nobody asks, the other store is a full service. At the full service I usually specify paper except for frozen stuff and meat goes in plastic. I use paper bags to put out my recyclables for pick up, the plastic bags come in handy for doggy pick up, litterbox scoops, and packing stuff I sell on ebay.