To lessen the negative effects that plastic has on the environment, paper bags are a common substitute for plastic bags. Nevertheless, because of their poor durability, they only live short lives. While less paper is being used, more is being used for wrapping, packaging, and boarding as a result of growing e-commerce.

Why Switch to Paper Bags from Plastic Bags ~ 

Paper bags are completely recyclable since they don't release any harmful or hazardous gases when they are recycled, unlike plastic bags. Reusable bags have a far smaller ecological effect than plastic bags when they are used more than three times. Switching to paper bags instead of plastic ones reduces pollution in the environment. It also involves preventing marine life, such as whales and sea turtles, from consuming plastic debris that could endanger their lives. Recycling paper bags takes significantly less time than recycling plastic bags. Paper is easy to recycle, whereas plastic bags pose more challenges. Plastic bags may take 400–1000 years to break down, while paper bags may decompose in just a matter of days when left in your lawn. When gathering compost in a paper bag, you can mix the compost and the paper bag into the soil. However, plastic bags cannot be treated in the same manner, as they would only contaminate the soil.

Background of Paper Bags ~ 

The history of the large brown paper bag is fascinating and lengthy. We use brown paper bags on a regular basis for a variety of purposes, including packing our children's lunches, carrying groceries home, and toting department store items. The paper bag satisfied a need that people were unaware they possessed, as is the case with the finest innovations. Before the invention of the paper bag, every house and business used baskets, bowls, and other containers as their primary means of storage.  Sacks composed of burlap, canvas, and jute were the main means of transporting and storing goods across the British Empire for decades. These materials' strong, long-lasting qualities were its primary advantage, but producing them proved to be costly and time-consuming.  Conversely, paper was considerably easier to make and quickly took the lead in terms of materials for carry-along bags on trade routes. Thanks to a few shrewd inventors, the paper bag has experienced several improvements since its inception in the 1800s. Francis Wolle created the first machine to manufacture paper bags in large quantities in 1852. Wolle's machine was the impetus for the widespread adoption of paper packing, even though his paper bag resembled a huge letter envelope rather than the grocery store staple we know today (and could thus be used to convey small things and papers exclusively). Margaret Knight, a creative inventor who was employed for the Columbia Paper Bag Company at the time, made the next significant advancement in the design of the paper bag. It was then that she recognized using square-bottomed bags would be more useful and efficient than using Wolle's envelope design. The broad commercial usage of paper bags was made possible by her invention of the paper-bag producing machine, which she made in an industrial shop. Her device turned out to be so successful that she went on to launch Eastern Paper Bag as her own business. Pleated sides, a traditional feature of the paper bag that we know and love today, were still absent from these square-bottomed bags. Charles Stillwell is to be commended for this modification, which allowed the bags to fold up for easy storage.Stillwell, a mechanical engineer by profession, created what is often referred to as "self-opening sacks," or the S.O.S. bag. But there's still more! An even better version of the original design was conceived in 1918 by two St. Paul grocers, Walter and Lydia Deubener. When the Deubeners punched holes in the edges of paper bags and fastened a string that served as both a handle and bottom support, they discovered that patrons could fit over 20 pounds of food into each bag. This proved to be a vital invention at a time when home delivery of goods was being replaced by cash-and-carry options.

Findings from a New Study ~

• Researchers at Penn State have created a way to strengthen paper bags, especially when they become wet, which makes them a better option than plastic bags. The method for making paper bags that may be used repeatedly and then chemically broken down by an alkaline treatment to be utilized as a source for biofuel production is suggested by this particular study.
• According to Daniel Ciolkosz, an associate research professor of agricultural and biological engineering, repurposing these paper products after their first usage renders them more environmentally friendly. The amount of solid trash that is sent to landfills is decreased by recycling and cutting down on paper waste. We believe society ought to take this idea into consideration.
• Reuse is mostly dependent on bag strength; a regular paper bag's low resilience after wetness makes it unlikely that it can be reused the requisite number of times. Investigating non-chemical methods to boost the wet strength of paper bags is necessary since employing pricey chemical procedures to do so reduces paper's economical and environmentally beneficial qualities for industrial use. One such solution is torrefaction.
• Like many scientific discoveries, the synergy between torrefaction and alkaline treatment for expanded paper capabilities was found by accident by the researcher.

Understanding the Process: ( Torrefaction) 

• The cellulose in paper is strengthened considerably while it is wet by torrefying it, or roasting it in a vacuum.
• Subsequently, the paper is treated with a solution of sodium hydroxide, commonly referred to as lye or caustic soda, in order to improve its glucose yield and so make it a more suitable source for the generation of biofuel.
• This technique may lessen the usage of single-use plastic bags, which are not very durable and only last a short time. The researchers think that a large proportion of plastic trash may be prevented by moving to stronger, reusable paper shopping bags.

It should be noted that the researchers used filter paper as the medium and found that the wet-tensile strength of the paper increased by 1,533%, 2,233%, 1,567%, and 557%, respectively, after 40 minutes of torrefaction at 392 degrees Fahrenheit, 428 degrees Fahrenheit, 464 degrees Fahrenheit, and 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why there is an alarming need for this to adapt ~
Given that 5 trillion plastic bags are created annually worldwide, it is clear that an idea such as this one is needed to replace plastic bags. The full degradation of these bags may take up to a millennium. Americans discard 100 billion bags annually, which is the same as about 12 million barrels of crude oil. This is an extremely important fact to keep in mind, as the number of incidents of environmental contamination is rising daily. We could save a lot of the trash by using tougher, reusable paper shopping bags. The potential consequences of refining a technique similar to the one we showcased in this study, which would involve using the old bags.

The bottom Line ~
In a world of restrictions, deciding to use paper bags might be the catalyst for raising environmental consciousness among the social elements influencing our day-to-day existence. This is the place where a feeling of community and reasoned human conduct for Mother Earth is fostered!