EDITORIAL - Not the fault of paper bags

Both as a matter of environmental concern and corporate social responsibility, many of the country's supermarkets are slowly phasing out, or at least minimizing the use of, plastic shopping bags.

The reason for the move is compelling. Plastic shopping bags make up perhaps the single biggest article that clogs up drainage systems and waterways, resulting in flashfloods that kill and destroy.

That is sad because the plastic shopping bag is also the single biggest aid to making shopping in the Philippines very convenient. No other container is best suited to the unique way that Filipinos shop.

Filipinos are bulk buyers or splurge shoppers. Why that is so, we will leave to social scientists and economists to explain. But it is there for everyone to see. Filipinos shop in volumes and quantities that otherwise cannot be possible unless plastic bags are available.

The paper bag being pushed as an alternative is useful only up to a point because there are only so many paper bags you can "embrace" per supermarket trip without running the risk of finding the things you bought on the ground.

But the plastic bag is different. It has handles that allow the shopper to use almost each of the fingers of his or her hand to hold at least one plastic bag. And they come in a wide variety to sizes to suit each shopping mood, opportunity or condition.

The paper bag is good for people with cars. The walk from supermarket to parking area is short and probably just within the building. If the shopper has to take public transport, the walk can be long and the elements unforgiving. Paper bags can be disasters waiting to happen.

Another alternative is the reusable bag. It works for some. But generally speaking, it is not practical for the same reason that paper bags are not. And they mostly come in only one size. Filipinos may be splurge shoppers and bulk buyers, but they are practical and love convenience.

In other words, they can go home looking like Christmas trees but they do not want to go shopping already looking like one, burdened and saddled by many reusable bags. Besides, shopping almost always comes last. Lugging many reusable bags before shopping hampers earlier activities.

In other words, plastic shopping bags are the single best-suited complement to the way Filipinos shop. It is just unfortunate that because of the irresponsible manner that people discard them, they are now getting the rap.