| Criteria | Thin Plastic Bags | Thick Plastic Bags | Newspaper Bags | Non-Woven Bags | Cloth Bags |
| Material | LDPE Plastic #4 (Under 50 microns) | HDPE Plastic #2 | Newsprint (a low-grade, machine-finished paper made from wood pulp ) | Made from spun, bonded, non-woven polypropylene. (A flexible resin polymer used to make rope, chairs and the tops of Tic-Tac boxes) | Cotton, canvas, Jute etc |
| Convenience | Very High. Water proof, strong enough for a one time use. Ideal to carry/store messy items. Easily available. | Very High. Durable, water proof and air proof. | Not convenient. Only for light goods. Tear when wet. | Sturdy and durable. Can be wiped clean.Soft and permeable by air. | Strong and durable. Can be washed. |
| Cost | 20-30 paise per bag. Free for consumers | 60p – Rs.5 | Rs 2 – 5 per bag | Rs 10 per bag | Min Rs 40 per bag |
| Habit | High | High | Very low. | Slowly gaining popularity. Attractive, look like cloth bags. | Used to be popular before the advent of plastic bags. Still widely used in smaller towns. |
| Biodegradable | No, they are photo-degradable. | No (except come variants) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Energy Use | Very Low | Low on energy use as compared to paper and cloth. But thicker and heavier the bag, more the resources used. | Very high. Heavy burden on forests and water bodies. | Higher than plastic bags | Very high. Made from a high water consumption crop. Involves intensive use of pesticides and insecticides. |
| Time taken for Decomposition | 10-20 years | 500 to 1000 years | Few weeks to a couple of months | Undetermined | 1-5 years depending on quality and thickness |
| Reusable | Yes. Can be reused 4-5 times | Yes. Several times. | Not very durable for reuse. | Yes, very durable. | Highly reusable. Only downside is that there are hygiene issues due to moisture retention. |
| Recyclable | No recycle value for rag-pickers. Can be made into plarn (plastic yarn) and woven | Yes. | Yes. High resale value. Also recycled by paper mills. | Yes | Yes |
| Environmental Impact | Choke drains, plants, animals. Litter roads and water bodies. Consume a non-renewable resource. | Manufacture uses oil, causes air, water pollution. Form a large non degradable component of solid waste. Choke drains and animals | Earth-friendly as a waste material. But production takes a heavy toll on forests. | Not determined yet. Same hazards as plastic. but do not choke drains as they are permeable. | Earth-friendly as a waste material. But production is energy and water intensive. |
