[userbinator]

Plastic bags used to be sturdy enough to be multi-use, and I still have a collection of them that I reuse. I'm old enough that I remember when they were introduced, and how much better than paper they were, and definitely didn't think of them as disposable back then --- unlike paper ones.

I think the problem is ultimately the "disposable attitude" of most people, which drove the manufacturers to make them thinner and weaker until they're barely enough for a single use (and also for more profit, of course.) I see biodegradable in the same way as planned obolescence --- the manufacturers can both guarantee that people will keep consuming, while also exclaiming how environmentally friendly they are.

Perhaps most people just don't like reusing things?