Cotton balls are naturally biodegradable, so their issue isn't the balls themselves.Although they consume plenty of resources, their production is very energy-intensive.According to the World Wildlife Fund, approximately 20,000 litres of water are required to produce one kilogram of cotton.
Even though sandwich bags are made of plastic, they seldom receive environmental attention. According to Kiera Butler for Mother Jones magazine, most sandwich baggies are made of polyethylene, a substance derived from natural gas. Even though sandwich bags are smaller and denser than grocery bags, they weigh approximately the same. Darby Hoover of the Natural Resources Defense Council stated that, despite water consumption, the positive impact of washing and reusing the bags likely outweigh the cost.