Paper is environmentally expensive to produce and recycle. If it's worse than plastic is surely debatable but it's definitely not significantly better.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-scienc...

but paper that ends up in the environment is almost surely better

I can imagine paper bag rotting away and producing methane while plastic bag inert for centuries.

Short term global warming seems far bigger issue than plastic waste (which is manageable)

Microplastic seems to be a public health issue.

Nothing conclusive tho. More like - it's everywhere, some of it might be dangerous.