If you’ve jumped on the paper bag train for your daily shopping trips, you probably have a decent stockpile at your house. Well, you probably know how easily they can get messed up by moisture, or how heavy loads can break them down quicker than usual. How do you get rid of them?
With paper bags, that’s not too hard. First, they’re biodegradable. So, there isn’t TOO MUCH of a worry if you just pitch them in the bin, but if you want to really maximise your sustainable lifestyle, you’ll want the best possible way to dispose of them.
We have a couple of answers for you. Let’s go over them.
The Bin: Least Recommended
The bin isn’t a horrible choice. Unlike normal plastic bags, paper bags can decompose in a matter of days or weeks depending on the weather. So, they won’t be sticking around in the landfill for very long.
However, that’s not necessarily the best way to do this. When you chuck a paper bag in the bin, you ensure that it won’t be used for anything meaningful again. It’ll simply go to the landfill, decompose, and be gone forever.
This isn’t very efficient since it means new materials will need to be harvested and processed for the next project. Unless you absolutely have to, try not to toss your paper bags in the bin. Of course, it’s a lot less consequential to throw a paper bag away than it is a plastic one. So, don’t beat yourself up too much.
Reuse: Semi-Recommended
Okay, you’re back from the store, and you don’t need the paper bag anymore. However, you can use it for other things such as organising your personal documents, small items, and other such things. This is an okay way to do it. No, it doesn’t put the bag back into the recycling system, but you’re reusing it and truly getting the most out of it.
Recycling: Most Recommended
Recycling your paper bags is the most recommended disposal method. This is for a couple of reasons.
First, it’s just as easy as tossing it in a bin. If you’re an eco-friendly individual, you have probably already ordered a recycling bin from your disposal company. You can just toss the paper bag into the paper recycling bin and be done with it.
Then, you have to consider the fact that it puts the used paper back into the recycling system. With advances in hyacinth paper, trees don’t HAVE to be depended on so much, but they’re still chopped down with reckless abandon. By recycling your paper bags, you put usable material back into the paper industry and lower the demand for fresh wood to create those products. This helps to preserve trees.
Recycle Your Paper Bags
Recycling is clearly the best option. It keeps usable material within the paper industry without costing us all more trees, and it’s just as easy as tossing the bag away.
