Paper and Plastic: Which is Better?

The chemistry behind both widely used materials

Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

Today, the use of both plastics and paper is so pervasive in our modern society that it is nearly impossible to imagine a world without them.

In fact, more than 400 million metric tons of paper and cardboard are produced globally each year. At the same time, approximately 500 billion plastic bags…