I don’t know if you knew it or not, buttt Black folks hoard plastic bags. We never, ever throw them away. Plastic bags were saved for rainy days- literally. I can remember as a child, my grandmother outfitting me in new rain gear that was only plastic bags. Plastic bags have a long history, with multiple uses. Check some out here . Communities of color were the earlier recyclers, as the issue wasn’t about sustainability, but about economy- how to save money. But we also know that plastic bags are an petroleum by-product, which is rapidly becoming unsustainable for us here on planet earth. States know this too and are responding by banning plastic bags, or an tax on single use plastic bags.
So are paper bags a better solution? A more sustainable way to go? Not everyone thinks so. Paper bags are biodegradable, and recyclable, but plastic bags outperform when it comes to reuse.
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We’re not going to get into the carbon footprint of the paper and cloth bags. Cloth bags are the best way to go, uses count 131x vs. plastic’s 11x. So what can you do beyond just carrying food out in your bare arms?? Recycle what you got! Look for compose plastics to reuse and if you can afford it - buy a cloth bag. And check out what your putting in those bags- buy local produce - reducing our carbon footprint.
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