It was not so long ago that paper bags were considered bad because manufacturing them caused trees to be cut.

The answer then was plastic, which didn’t make much sense, as plastic is manufactured from non-renewable resources and could hang around for decades. Paper bags, on the other hand, are both recyclable and biodegradable and come from renewable sources.

Although I happen to be a forester and have the edge when it comes to trees and their many products, this situation still raises the question: “Whatever happened to common sense, or is it the nickel that trumps everything, even when Maine’s paper industry is having a rough time?”

Clifton E. Foster

forester

Gray


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