Are reuseable bags better than plastic ones? We ask the experts

Reuseable bags may have taken over for their plastic counterparts, but you might not be convinced they’re the best option.

“Is it better to use a non-plastic bag? Absolutely,” insists Kirstie Pacci, the executive director of Just Zero, a not-for-profit assisting governing bodies with plastic pollution reduction. “You cannot recycle plastic bags back into plastic bags in a cost-effective, truly circular way. You end up with less plastic than you started with. It just can’t be done.”

The Government of Canada has pledged to meet its zero plastic waste target by 2030. As of December 2022, plastic checkout bags we no longer allowed in stores. A full sales and export ban is planned for the end of 2025.

Making a difference

“If you’ve got a good, durable reuseable bag that you actually use on a regular basis without purchasing additional bags, you’re going to be making a big difference in terms of plastic pollution,” said Ryan Prosser, an associate professor at the University of Guelph.

Regular and repeated use of bags is key.

But are reuseable bags actually being reused?

“[I] almost always use them, almost always remember to bring them,” said one shopper in Waterloo Region.

“I always keep them stored in my vehicle so, yeah, it’s never a problem,” added another.

Vincenzo’s, a Waterloo, Ont. grocer, said many of their customers bring their own bags.

Co-owner Carmine Caccioppoli, however, isn’t sure if it’s making an environmental difference.

“Quite honestly, with the amount of lost reusable bags and people forgetting them, I can’t see how sometimes how that extra garbage of these multiple bags can be efficient,” he said. “But, you know, everyone tries their best and I think that’s the most important thing, is to try.”

According to Prosser, reusable bags are making an overall difference in reducing plastic pollution. “A plastic bag, you not only have oil extraction, the processing of that oil into plastic, but now you have a product that is going to hang around for a hundred, potentially hundreds of years,” he explained.

For reuseable bags to be most impactful, experts suggest keeping them in your car, or on hand, for unexpected shopping stops.

They also say the best reusable bags are the ones made from biodegradable materials or fibers, which can be washed and used, over and over again.