Paper or plastic? Whichever it is, recycle

I wonder where you got the anti-plastic cartoon you ran a few days ago. I looked into the facts, and found that both paper and plastic have problems, though plastic seems to have a modest advantage, especially if you look at what it takes to make them as well as dispose of them.

We know, of course, that paper means cutting down trees that would otherwise absorb carbon dioxide, but may not be aware of how much water it takes to grind wood pulp into paper fibers and then dry out the paper sheets - three times as much water as making plastic, and four times as much energy (which commonly burns coal and makes more pollution).

Plastics' liabilities include littering, with not only ugliness but also dangers to wildlife and marine life that ingests it. However, this is being addressed in two ways: stronger recycling campaigns, especially by the groceries that supply plastic bags, and the fact that plastic bag makers have recently started making compostable and biodegradable materials.

Recent reports, including from The Wall Street Journal and the majority of analyses of the whole life cycle (raw materials to final disposal) give the edge to plastic. But all of them say "Get a reusable bag and use it - that's much better than either!"

John F. Moore

Libertyville