Neither they are both bad for the environment. If you are looking to be environmentally friendly when bagging your groceries try the reusable cloth bags. check out this site for more info: http://www.natural-environment.com/blog/2008/01/12/paper-bags-vs-plastic-bags/
Source(s):
http://www.natural-environment.com/blog/2008/01/12/paper-bags-vs-plastic-ba...

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Paper is bio-degradable. It may destroy trees, contribute to global warming. But it can be reused / disintegrated into harmless substances.

Plastic, even when you discard it, cannot be disintegrated into harmless substances. It accumulates on this earth forever.

So, in my opinion, plastic is worse.
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Go with paper. You can reuse them, they are biodegradable, and, in fact, may lead to more trees being planted.

In economics, they teach you to look for the actual impact of every action. When a firm makes a paper bag, the trees don't come from the rain forest or the some natural forest, but rather from a tree farm. When you use a paper bag, you increase the demand for these farm raised trees, and the farmers will actually plant more trees!

That being said, you shouldn't waste paper, but when going to the supermarket, you should ask for paper. Not only is it easier to recycle, but the environmental impact is much smaller than plastic, which comes from hydrocarbons.
Source(s):
Econ 101

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I just watched a new Bill Nye show (3am .... couldn't sleep) called "stuff happens" where he said they're both bad, and that you should use canvas bags.

I say it's dependent on the person. I reuse all my plastic bags for garbage and carrying stuff until the bag is completely unusable, at which point I recycle them. And paper bags are completely useless for me, so they just go straight to the recycling bin.
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Doesn't matter, and it isn't a fixed answer.

You can always find an example where one is smarter than the other. The real question is: Are you're reducing, reusing, and recycling what you are using? I have tupperware that's as old as I am. Would paper plates have been better? Would I have saved less food for left overs?

Basically, I'd focus on reducing your footprint in general, and recycling whenever possible. I think a better question would be - for the application you're using - which option is 1. Reducable (i.e. do I even need it in the first place, can I get by with less.) 2. Reusable (i.e. can I get away with not needing to purchase ever again) 3. Recycleable (i.e. if I have to throw it away, can I at least make sure it doesn't end up in a land-fill.)

I think the best example of the contradictions are the debate between cloth and disposable diapers. Garbage magazine infamously once showed that disposable diapers are actually better for the environment. Especially once you figured in the cleaning of the cloth diapers.
Source(s):
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n9_v45/ai_13794054
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE1D71E3BF930A15753C1A964...

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You are absolutely correct. If you saw the recent Today show "water" special, reporting on damage to the environment by plastic pellets, etc, floating throughout the oceans of the World, being ingested by fish, and ultimately by us, you get a clue. Anderson Cooper also had an intriguing special within the last couple of weeks demonstrating the same horrors visually.

There are dozens of websites from Sierra Club, RFK Jr., and dozens or even hundreds more, documenting the same thing.

There is even a company called "Evergreen" who got contracts from cities like Denver, and who with hidden cameras were revealed to ship this "poison" to the poorest parts of China, where 5, 7, and 8 year olds were shown picking through the garbage to scrounge for pennies to help feed their families.''

Paper on the other had is recyclable.
Source(s):
general knowledge

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While I agree that both options are bad, I would implore everyone here to atleast try and use a reusable canvas bag or you know what?, Why use a bag at all ?

Something everyone here should take a look into in there communities that are not using it is single stream recycling.


You can find more information at
http://www.ExploreTheCycle.com
Source(s):
My Entorhinal cortex.

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You could think about it this way. If you use paper bags, you are consuming more paper, therefore more trees. However when you dispose of paper bags, they biodegrade a lot easier (say, in a landfill) than as if you were to use plastic bags and then dispose the same way. However if you were to recycle both types of materials then I would not worry about anything being bad for the environment.
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I would have to say that plastic is way worse than paper. Millions of trees are grown every year just to make paper, it is the only renewable resource that we have. In other words paper can be produced, while plastic is made from a multiple amount of resources that cannot be reproduced at will.
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PLASTIC!
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