wrote in message ...
:::Jerry:::: wrote:

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
et...
"Mike Hibbert" wrote in message
news:tnQhd.12589
snip

Actually Homebase do this now, they are actually pretty sturdy, we
easily
carried 4 * 1litre time of paint in it with no problem.

They've been providing the stout brown paper bags for many years.

But their effect on the environment is only lessened if the customer
either
re-cycles them or puts them in the recycle bin or whatever device is
available.


Bollox ! Paper degrades.

It's not just the matter of degrading or not, it's the energy and
materials used to make the bag(s).

If a paper bag uses more energy and raw materials to make it than
a plastic bag then it's going to do more damage to the environment
than a plastic bag even if it degrades into compost or whatever.

If plastic bags are re-used (several times preferably) I wouldn't be a
bit surprised if they cause less damage to the environment than paper
ones.


You still end up using energy to recycle, something that does not happen if
the item is allowed to degrade due to natures natural process. Paper is, in
it's raw material state, in plentiful and manageable supply, not to mention
that the paper that is used for paper bags and the like will have almost
certainly been made out of recycled paper, so that side of the equation has
already taken place.

The reason shops don't use paper carrier bags is because the customers have
little faith, I suspect, due to the standard of paper carrier bags 20 or so
years ago, or because they don't know any different.