7 ms·

Is this something that a paper bag could solve for?

• dividedbyzero 3y ago
  Paper is heavier and bulkier, production is pretty resource intensive, recycling doesn't work all that well, it's not transparent, and you may have to line it with something else to make it hold up to moisture. It's better than plastic I guess but a non-fossil-sourced and easily biodegradable plastic would be kind of perfect for this, even if it was a little less sturdy than the current mainstream options.
  • JohnFen 3y ago
    > It's better than plastic I guess but a non-fossil-sourced and easily biodegradable plastic would be kind of perfect for this It would be, but plastic like that that is also suitable for use as a bag doesn't exist.
    • dividedbyzero 3y ago
      > It would be, but plastic like that that is also suitable for use as a bag doesn't exist. There is quite a bit of R&D in the biodegradable plastics space and the EU is banning more and more single use plastics so I'm hopeful that will change. One store around here piloted corn-based ones and while they weren't quite as sturdy and certainly very expensive, they worked ok-ish (and apparently biodegraded within years).
      • JohnFen 3y ago
        Yes, the current biodegradable plastics are, basically, PLA -- the same stuff commonly used for 3D printing. And they are technically biodegradable, but won't do so in a reasonable period of time outside of industrial facilities. They're better on that count than more traditional plastic, but I'm not sure they're better enough to actually matter. Hopefully, there will be some advance in the future but, as they say, the future isn't here yet!
  • brundolf 3y ago
    And then at some point you have to weigh the carbon cost of transporting the extra mass vs the impact of the plastic itself (I'm not making this up, it's a thing that came up when some cities started requiring the thicker, more durable plastic grocery bags) There's no easy win