England is a rainy country. You’ve heard it, I’ve lived it, no one is denying it…Except maybe the Brits, themselves.
England seems to be in denial of how wet their country is, and of what water does to certain materials. I am all for saving the planet, and using paper bags instead of plastic ones is a step in the right direction, but have you ever seen what rain does to paper? Probably not, because if you add enough rain paper will just disintegrate.
The go-to bag for most shops, including several that I’ve worked in, is a paper one. I have seen countless shoppers duck into one of my shops and out of the rain with a mess of paper bags, shrivelled, ripped, and mushy. Maybe it’s all a plan by some environmental agency to subliminally convince people to start buying and using reusable fabric bags. If shops won’t provide plastic bags, and we all know that paper bags won’t last the day in the rain, a fabric bag is the best option!
I’d like to believe that this theory I just made up is true, but that wouldn’t explain why England’s Remembrance Day poppies are also made of paper. Not only is my poppy totally crumpled after only 9 days of wear, it’s also seriously water damaged. In Canada, where we don’t really get winter rain, our poppies are made of velvet covered plastic. A very durable flower. In England, where is rains all the time, they use paper – I don’t get it. And it’s not like they are afraid of using plastic; you can’t buy anything at the grocery store that’s not wrapped in some kind of cellophane. Want one bell pepper? Can’t do it, but you can have three wrapped in plastic! Fancy some broccoli? Sure, hope you need a plastic bag, too! In need of a greeting card? Only if it’s shrink wrapped!
The point is, someone out there is not thinking. Or else, he is thinking and he’s just sitting in his big chair in his fancy office, cat on lap, looking out the window through the rain and laughing.
outloudkat, since 2009 
I understand where you are coming from with your theory, as I particularly am suspicious of all Fabric Bag Conglomerates whom I suspect are plotting to take over the world; plastic bags on Day 1, Europe on Day 2, the Africas on Day 3, etc etc.
However I think you may have touched upon an angle which, via my extensive Google reseach, has yet to be explored regarding the discovery of the plastic bag replacement. And that angle can be demonstrated like this:
1. Take a bucket of water
2. Drop in a paper bag, a plastic bag, a fabric bag, and a bell pepper
3. Wait 1 minute
4. View results
Now, I am performing this test hyperthetically in my head, but I would suspect a) the paper bag is a swollen mess, b) the plastic bag has leaked in water but is essentially water-proof, c) the fabric bag is intact but lazing at the bottom of the bucket, and d) the bell pepper is floating like a little yellow fluffy duck with all of its insides not affect by a jot of water.
What is my point?
Surely with all the science in the world, the genetic modification of vegetables to produce super vegetables and the knowledge that vegetables are 100% biodegradeable, someone tell me why is the scientific world trying to still invent the ‘perfect paper bag’ instead of focusing on the obvious – that is, growing a vegetable in the shape of a bag.
Think about it – the banana is totally biogradeable, yet is also totally water resistant. The pea-pod is the same. Ditto anthing else easily peal-able by hand. And these fruits/vegetables are in the basic shape of a bag with a zipper!!!
There are things growing on trees, naturally, which are all water proof and biodegradeable, yet the best alternative to the plastic bag our scientists can come up with is a paper bag that goes mushy in the rain.
How does this make sense?