Almost everyday I see a new commercials saying “No more plastic, we switched to paper [straws/bags/whatever]!” I understand that it’s good to not use plastic, but won’t this contribute to cutting down more trees and hurt our environment as well?

Question

Almost everyday I see a new commercials saying “No more plastic, we switched to paper [straws/bags/whatever]!” I understand that it’s good to not use plastic, but won’t this contribute to cutting down more trees and hurt our environment as well?

In: Earth Science

Answer 1

Trees today are farmed, the same way you woukd grow corn or wheat (although it takes trees more time to grow). Calculating the actual environmental impact of plastic vs paper products is kind of complicated when you include natural resources, energy use, and recycling. Paper straws break down in weeks while plastic takes years, which is why places switch.