Many people face a common dilemma every time they visit the grocery store: which types of grocery bags are better – paper or plastic? Choosing neither is the best option, and opting canvas instead. Most grocery stores now sell canvas bags for a nominal fee (about $2-$5), and they can be reused again and again, are much stronger than paper or plastic and can hold up to three plastic bags’ worth of food on average.

Paper comes from timber (14 million trees were cut down for paper bags in 1999 alone), and the clearing of timber can have profound effects on natural habitats such as decreasing or eliminating plant and animal habitat. Paper production also uses a significant amount of water, and it is more likely to be recycled, although it is a labor-intensive process requiring a lot of chemicals. Paper will eventually decompose over time in a landfill.

Plastic requires less energy to produce than paper resulting in less water and air pollution. However, it is made from petroleum (all plastics account for 4 percent of the oil use in the United States) and never decomposes. It is more easily reused and recycled than paper, but still accounts for 7 percent of the landfill waste in weight and 18 percent in volume. Plastic bags often take flight and can clog sewers and animal airways and stomachs.

Canvas, on the other hand, is made from other materials such as cotton. Traditional cotton production has harsh impacts on the environment, but the long life of a canvas bag outweighs the harmful effects of these practices when compared to paper or plastic bag production. Many of the canvas bags sold grocery stores are made from organic cotton or hemp, which has much less of an impact.

To find canvas bags, first look in your closet. Many organizations give away canvas bags at events, and they might have gotten stuffed in nooks and crannies around your house. Thrift stores also are a good resource for canvas bags. If you can’t find any, or enough, ask your local grocery store if they sell canvas bags or visit one of the websites below to order canvas bags online (the Georgia Conservancy does not endorse any companies, and those listed below are just a few available Internet resources).

The hardest part of using canvas grocery bags is remembering to take them into the grocery store with you. Leaving the bags in one consistent place in your car to make this task easier, and give yourself several weeks to get into the habit. Also, remember you can use these same bags when shopping for other items such as clothes, toiletries or anything that will fit into a bag!

A few internet resources:

Tomorrow’s World $10.00 per bag

Tote Bags $8.00-10.00