Apple Is Making Big Changes for a Healthier Environment

It appears that plastic bags are on the way out. Los Angeles approved a ban on them back in 2013, and even the state of California passed a law preventing companies from giving away free plastic bags (though the law is on hold pending a public vote in November 2016). Because of this, popular grocery stores like Ralphs and Vons have been encouraging their customers to use their reusable cloth bags for years. They last longer than plastic and are better for the environment. The trend has been gaining momentum, transferring the ideology from grocery stores up to high-end retail.

Apple recently decided to get rid of their iconic plastic bags in their brick and mortar stores, but they aren’t going the reusable route. Instead the company is replacing plastic with paper. There’s been a debate for years about what is better, paper or plastic. Some argue that paper is better since they are biodegradable while plastic is not. However, paper bags are made from trees, a resource that is important for the fight against climate change. Neither option is perfect, but paper is undoubtedly better.

According to Juli Clover from MacRumors, Apple will begin to phase out their iconic plastic bags on April 15th. Why is this cool? The new paper bags will be made with mostly recycled materials. It means that Apple’s new bags will require fewer trees to be cut down. Even better, the company uses sustainable forests, meaning trees are replanted when they are cut down to make packaging used for iPhones and other Apple products. Fewer trees cut down means less trees to suck up all that carbon-dioxide in the air.

The new bags are an effort to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and that shouldn’t be a surprise. Apple has touted their efforts to make Macs and iOS devices have a limited negative impact on the environment. By using energy saving, recyclable, and reusable materials in their products, the company has been seen as the leader in environmentally friendly technology.

Apple was quoted, saying, “We’re committed to leaving the world better than we found it. One bag at a time. So on April 15, we’ll switch to paper shopping bags made form 80 percent recycled materials. These bags come in medium and large. When Customers are buying a product, ask if they need a bag. They may decide they don’t. And you’ll encourage them to be even more environmentally friendly. If you still have plastic bags in stock, use them before you switch to the new paper bags.”

Ditching the old bags is a welcomed move and one that may attract new customers who are concerned about the environment. Even if their customer base doesn’t increase, it’s good PR, and Apple could influence other companies to follow suit. Grocery stores seem like they might benefit the most from ditching plastic bags, but other industries will as well. If the trend continues, the day may come where questioning “paper or plastic” will be totally archaic.

Learn More: How Apple’s Robot LIAM and Other Sustainability Efforts Will Save the Environment

What do you think about paper bags being used in high-end retail stores? Is Apple doing the right thing or have they gone bonkers? Let us know in the comments below.