Pretty sure that these plastic bag bans have only increased plastic consumption... I was pretty miffed about the whole thing but then realized that for 8 cents a bag, I now get bigger, stronger bags that never tear, plus they are cheap enough to keep using them to line small garbage bins.
“Paper or plastic”? I always answer “plastic”. I get a lot of secondary use out of the plastic ones. Paper ones not so much. They get soggy when wet, for one thing.