Are paper bags really better than plastic ones?

Paper bags seem like a good alternative to plastic bags when buying fruit and vegetables. But experts say their environmental impact is worse. Photo: Benjamin Nolte/dpa

Paper bags might seem like a good alternative to plastic when bagging some fruit and vegetables at the shops. They're easy to recycle, can be made out of recycled paper and are biodegradable, right?

In fact, experts say their environmental impact is even worse than plastic bags.