Much debate has happened over this question and the answer depends on what group you are talking to. For the wildlife people it is paper. There have been no documented cases of wildlife being killed by paper bags. For economists and climatologists it’s plastic. Plastic bags need less energy than paper bags to manufacture. In addition, because plastic bags are much thinner and lighter than paper bags, you can transport the same amount of plastic bags for 1/7 the cost of paper.

So there is no clear winner in the disposable bag race but there are some practices that will make which every one you use better for the environment.

1. Keep a tight grip on that bag
2. Recycle the bags
3. Reuse the bags several times before you recycle them
4. Don’t use plastic or paper bags but have reusable bags handy for shopping

Additional Resources

http://www.plasticbageconomics.com/

http://www.naturesfoodpatch.com/common/news/store_news.asp?task=store_news&SID_store_news=42&storeID=A5PJLP3ME3S92N5800AKHLBD34WS3RL1

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1717476.ece