A.  Biodegradable bags can be hazardous to the environment while undermining sound recycling practices. For one thing, the starches that enable the bags to break down in the environment are incompatible with traditional plastic recycling methods, resulting in the contamination of other plastics that are melted for recycling. For another, these bags don't biodegrade in the absence of light and air, meaning they won't biodegrade in landfills. Resource wastage is another factor: compostable bags can require three times as much fossil fuel to produce as polyethylene plastic and 18 times as much fresh water. Then there is the effect on the Third World's poor. Biodegradable bags are often corn-based, meaning that foodlands have been diverted to bag production. Such industrial uses of foodlands have contributed to a doubling of grain prices, increasing Third World hunger and malnutrition and leading to food riots.

Biodegradable bags, which come in a variety of forms, can be composted in the presence of air and light. Because few customers are likely to do this – they  would not only need open composting facilities but knowledge of the different types of biodegradable bags  – only a subset of even the most committed of environmentalists would find this practical. Even they would have misgivings, because the degradation process releases methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas. Worse, degradation also releases substances that can pollute our air and waterways. If you're expecting your municipality to do the composting for you, you may be disappointed – these bags can't be composted in many municipal composting facilities, which are designed to complete the composting process in less time than the 11 weeks or more required by many biodegradable bags. For this reason, some municipalities ban biodegradable bags from their compost stream.

On June 1, 2010, a ban on plastic bags that are incompatible with Toronto, Ontario's recycling program (where Green Beanery is based) will take effect. Outlawed bags include those that are biodegradable or compostable.

The standard polystyrene bag, in contrast, seems positively virtuous. When recycled, it can become another plastic bag (avoiding the hazards that come of biodegradable bags) or plastic-lumber (avoiding the need to clear cut forests). Polystyrene bags are also more durable and better suited to reuse than biodegradable bags. As every environmentalist knows, reuse is far superior to recycling.