Cotton Bags

How come in Australia we have plastic bags to carry our groceries & in America they have paper bags?

Public Comments

1. actually we have both
2. In Australia, we like having handles to help carry our groceries. And while paper bags are more environmentally conscientious, we also have the 'green option' - reuseable canvas bags that you can take with you when you go shopping.
3. Paper bags are getting hard to find anywhere due to the shortage of trees to make the pulp.
4. Plastic bags are easier to carry stuff in, like colds and that if put in a paper bag they get wet and fall through. But, thats going to change soon. I dont use plastic bags anymore and buy the shopping cloth bags.
5. I have not been offered a paper bag for my groceries for years. Once upon a time you could use the cardboard boxes that supermarkets had available from unpacking their stock but even the box isn't around anymore. The only place I have get a paper bag is at the butchers. I am in South Australia
6. We have the CHEAPEST Plastic bags here in America where the stuff they put in it, practically falls out of it through rips in the plastic. I miss the days of paper bags, now they don't even ask.
7. In the uk wew have plastic. Most are bio-degradable and go weak really quickly-you're lucky if they last the trip home-they rip and tear easily, and disintergrate after a while, which is fair enough except that the government want the supermarkets to start charging for them, so that people will use less-which is ludicrus, as they are ALREADY environmentally freindly, so what's the problem?! ~I don't get it!
8. Most of the grocery stores in America use plastic bags, now. However, many do offer a choice. The first question a cashier or bag boy will ask you, when you come up to the register, is, "Paper or plastic?" to ask what your preference is.