The organizations Zero, Quercus and Circular Economy Portugal warn that the material of bags is not the most important factor in reducing environmental impact, but rather reuse. These environmental associations want to counter the idea that one material is inherently better than another.
According to these entities, thin plastic can have a smaller ecological footprint than paper or cotton when used only once. This means that the choice of material should be evaluated based on the number of uses, not just its nature.
The specialists from these organizations argue that the priority should be to reuse bags as many times as possible, regardless of the material, to minimize environmental impact.
