This is such a cliche question but I'm sure many people don't know the correct answer. I didn't know the right answer until recently. Paper bags come from many trees. The trees are cut down and  moved with heavy machinery that requires fossil fuels, Then they must dry for 3 years, and are then made with chemicals into a pulp. The pulp is washed and rolled into sheets of paper. Even worse, plastic bags are made from oil, a non-renewable resource. The oil is heated to at least 750 degrees and separated into its various parts. In conclusion, canvas bags are the best for the environment! Canvas bags are cheap and sturdy. You can use them up to 500 times in their lifetime!

I completely agree. Canvas bags are a great alternative to paper and plastic bags. Plastic bags are especially detrimental to the environment because they often end up as litter on land and in the oceans, where they take hundreds of years to decompose and release harmful toxins into the environment during the process. Plastic bags are also harmful to animals, who eat the bags, thinking they are food. Tens of thousands of aquatic birds, fish, and mammals die every year as a result of plastic bags.

Many bans on plastic bags have been successful in their respective areas. In Ireland, a ban on plastic bags has helped reduce plastic bag litter by 95%. In San Jose, California, a 2011 ban on plastic bags has helped reduce plastic litter by 89% in the storm drains, 60% in the streams and rivers, and 59% in the streets. These successes show that a nationwide ban on plastic bags would have a tremendous affect on plastic litter. In the meantime, we can help reduce plastic l itter through using canvas bags and spreading the message about the environmental hazards of plastic bags.

Resources: http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic … bans-work/

Yes! I wish plastic bags were banned in the United States because their are so many great alternatives. People might argue that you have to buy canvas bags and you get paper/plastic for free when canvas bags really only cost around $5. Canvas bags are actually much better in the long run. They are sturdier and can be used many more times than plastic and paper.

Many stores in my community have begun charging a fee for paper and plastic bags. For people in my community, it is more cost effective in the long run to buy and reuse a canvas bag than buy a disposable bag every time they go to the store.  I think this was a great idea because it will encourage people to bring reusable, canvas bags and support the environment.