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Plastic vs. Paper -
Which Will You Choose?

The argument between plastic and paper has not yet subsided. The reason for the long-term argument is the fact that the two roughly equal in advantages and disadvantages conferred. In fact, both of them contribute considerable pollution and gobble up natural resources.

Paper is a material of cellulose pulp. It is generally made up of wood chips, which are processed into flexible sheets, or rolls by deposit from an aqueous suspension. It incorporates rags and certain grasses to enhance its quality and style. Paper is generally used for writing, printing, wrapping and covering.

Paper comes from trees. The process of transforming logs into paper is tedious. It may need fossil fuels for the machineries. Use of limestone and sulphurous acid is also inevitable to transform wood chips into pulp and finally to paper.

Plastic, on the other hand, is a material made of diverse compounds. The process called polymerization creates it. Said material has the ability to be molded, reshaped or drawn into desired strands.

Plastic is a petroleum product. It is created through ‘biogeochemical’ manipulation. It is a by-product of oil refining that transforms polymers into plastic.

To aid you in formulating your decision of which between the two is the best choice, you have to consider their pros and cons. You can start in its effect to energy and natural resources. The fact is that it takes four times energy in order to make paper bags compared to making plastic bags.

Aside from energy, both paper bags and plastic bags are threats to our environment. Say for instance, to produce a 10m billion paper bags, 14 million trees must be cut down. In addition, the risks of global warming pile up every year. Trees are major absorbers of the greenhouse gases. Thus, continuous cutting off of the same will definitely rebound to our disadvantage. Basically, paper bags are mostly made out of virgin pulp to have outstanding durability and elasticity.

The second issue that needs to be addressed is about pollution. Heating wood chips under pressure makes paper bags. These chips are heated at high temperatures in a chemical solution. This solution uses toxic chemicals that can result in acid rain and water pollution. This is because millions of gallons of these chemicals are thrown in our waterways. Plastic can also trigger several health hazards brought about by air pollution and the thinning of ozone layer, which may cause skin cancer.

Recycling is another vital issue. According to the Wall Street Journal, only 10 to 15% of paper bags and 1 to 3% of plastic bags are being recycled. Hence, there is a higher rate on paper bags than plastic bags. Paper bags are improving with time. It is good that paper is environmentally recyclable compared to plastic.

Finally, another important issue for consideration is degradability. Recent studies have shown that paper degrades faster than plastic. This is because plastic does not decompose easily; it takes billions of years to make them degrade. This is the reason why throwing them away should be avoided. The use of paper products such as paper bags must be upheld.

To avoid being easily drenched in water, paper bags are made glossy and hard. They are also made more fashionable than ever. On the other hand, plastic bags are also made more stylish and durable.

In a nutshell, it will be good to consider reusable paper bags to avoid pollution, ozone deterioration and other health and environmental hazards.

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