Paper or canvas? Plastic's out

Paper or canvas? Plastic's out

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By Jennifer Winters and KVAL Web Staff

EUGENE, Ore. -- Paper or canvas?

A Eugene-based grocery chain's decision to cut plastic bags out of the equation leaves shoppers with two options: paper bags or reusable canvas bags.

Market of Choice bagged plastic sacks because they're hard to recycle, use petroleum and kill wildlife. The company says paper is better, but the greenest choice is a reusable bag.

The question is: how well do these canvas bags stack up against paper?

The 99 cent cloth bag easily holds the same amount as the paper bags, which are free to customers but cost the business. The paper sack is narrower and taller, so it's hard to cram everything in -- and once there, it doesn't feel quite as sturdy as canvas.

Either bag holds more than plastic, however: the same groceries as one canvas or paper sack requires four plastic bags.

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