Paper? Or plastic?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (235741)
Walnut Creek, California
March 18, 2026 11:43am CST
When I was a kid, grocery bags were made of paper. They held up pretty well, and would wind up being used as garbage bags.
Somewhere along the way, plastic grocery bags became a thing. I think there may have been an era when you could choose between the two.
Now,at least at Safeway, we are back to paper bags
But the quality of the bags is so low, you can easily suffer a "breakage tragedy"
on the way home
These paper bags are not good as garbage bags. A bit of leakage from a beer can, or grease from some baked chicken, and you're doomed.
What do you have where you live? Paper or plastic? What is your preference? Have you ever suffered a "breakthrough tragedy" on the way to the dumpster?
10 people like this
11 responses
@LooeyVille (64)
• United States
4h
Those paper bags back in the day (1970's) were GREAT!
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (49381)
• India
5h
We now have a lot of recyclable garbage plastic bags.
Some are of good quality.
Some not much.
As for Paper Bags, I have faced some of the issues in terms of spillage that you have faced.
Quality is an issue with many paper bags.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (95454)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1h
When my Walmart delivery comes, it is always plastic bags, and I use them for trash. Actually, I remember the days of paper bags and liked those best.
@Ineeddentures (22693)
•
1h
Well the shops sell is plastic bags which are really expensive,
But we use these expensive bags for life.
Neither paper or plastic
Dumpster, we don't have a dumpster.
Our own wheelie bins are in our yards.
One for cardboard and paper
One for recycle thing
And one for general waste which goes to landfill
@DaddyEvil (170278)
• United States
2h
Plastic is all that's offered now unless you buy cloth grocery bags. (We get plastic bags and save them up until we're actually going to Walmart and return them to be recycled. I use a few of them as trash can liners for the bathroom trash.)
Once in a while something we buy is too heavy for the plastic bags and they rip down the side, dumping groceries on the ground. 
@wolfgirl569 (131306)
• Marion, Ohio
5h
We still have mostly plastic. I would like to see them switch back.
@sallypup (68324)
• Centralia, Washington
6h
It depends on which store I am buying from. The last time I used a paper bag, first its handle broke in my hands then the side shredded. Thank God the event happened on my front porch.
@Traceyjayne (9022)
• United Kingdom
5h
Most stores have plastic ….and you have to pay for them.
Only a couple of shops have paper bags, but you still have to pay for them.
We ‘ collect ‘ a few small paper bags that you put fruit in at the supermarket and when we get home we take plastic wrapped fruit and veggies and put it into the paper bags. It keeps better.
Any bags paper or plastic that we get we reuse for rubbish bags etc …..
I take my own foldaway bags for my shopping.
