Lifestyle

Brown Paper Bags: The Green Movement’s Secret Weapon

When you think of the green movement, you probably think about electric vehicles, metal straws, and millennials wandering around in 70’s-esque clothing preaching about bees and trees. Well, some of that might be true, but we’re certain you don’t think about the good old brown paper bags you used to toss your school lunch in each morning.

Well, as it turns out, those brown paper bags that used to get people fired up about tree harvesting and waste are actually some of the best weapons against pollution.

Don’t believe us? Here are some of the ways brown paper bags are good for the environment and a far better solution than most others in the green movement.

1: Tree-Free

You didn’t read that wrong. Brown paper bags really are tree-free nowadays. At least, the ones made by responsible companies are. Paper bags can be made from invasive seaweed species, now.

Instead of chopping down acres of trees just to mulch them into a pulp and destroy our world’s forests, paper manufacturers can pull a seemingly endless supply of seaweed from coastlines and convert it into paper.

You can’t even tell that this seaweed-based paper is any different from traditional tree-based paper. It looks, feels, smells, and performs the same.

On top of that, the species of seaweed used are invasive. They choke out natural wildlife and plant life along the coasts, and they destroy entire ecosystems. By using tons of it to make paper, you can save trees, and you can work to get rid of a highly destructive plant that not only impacts marine wildlife but also impacts humanity considering much of our food and the safety of our shoreline communities relies on those coasts.

2: Stronger Bags

Yes, if you soak a paper bag, it’s likely to rip and become useless. However, paper bags typically carry a higher load, and they are more resilient to ripping and tearing compared to the thin, single-use plastic bags that are the norm right now.

As long as you keep your bags dry, and know their limits, you can have the same strong, reliable bags for multiple trips to the grocery store. If you try that with plastic bags, you’re likely to end up with half your grocery haul on the ground on your way to the door. They tear far too easily.

3: Cost-Effective Alternatives

You might not have noticed yet, but a lot of stores are charging for plastic bags, now. The fee per bag isn’t too high, but it’s still a noticeable addition to each grocery bill during a cost-of-living crisis affecting most of the globe.

Well, how does it feel to pay for those bags, and then they rip after a single use?

Brown paper bags can be ordered from eco shopping bag manufacturers, delivered to your door, and brought to the store whenever you go. Since you’ll buy them in bulk, you can get a better price than you would at the checkout lane, and they’re reusable; so, you won’t have to keep paying for them all the time.