Paper bags - NOT an alternative to plastic bags?
-- By Kowshik Vokkarne

I've carried paper bags before. They are light weight, damn inexpensive and can easily be folded and placed into a small compartment of my car. Doesnt take up much space, carries enough groceries and I get to use them a few times. So whats wrong with paper bags?

I've been in the business of comparing costs of different bags. No I dont really make tons of money making comparison charts. If that was it, I'd have seen loads of competition around me. But I do keep a tab on the real costs of products; especially bags used for shopping purposes. And I do this under the supportive brand of Kope Initiatives.

Now back to paper bags. It doesnt take rocket science to understand paper comes from wood pulp which comes from trees. Since paper bags dont last too long, we (I mean the folks of the planet) eventually end up cutting more trees than we can plant. Not a good idea, is it?

In my opinion we need to replace all plastic bags with cotton/jute bags. They'd be a wee bit more expensive, but we forget to calculate the 'real expenses' involved with paper and plastic. If sustainability is considered, cotton/jute bags are a small price to pay.

Read more on cotton/jute bags on Kope Initiatives.