No, plastic is not as bad as either of those things. That's not to say it's all good. But plastics have some upsides: cheap, durable, sanitary, lightweight, moldable. Switching back to aluminum/steel/glass for containers and paper and cardboard for packaging would have its own set of environmental and economic consequences.

Fleece blankets and clothing should go though. How many fleece hoodies do you need with your company logo embroidered on the breast? Why do we hand these things out at every company meeting as gifts when 90% of them sit in a closet or get thrown away.

Stop buying plastic junk. But plastic is not going away.