The funny part is that mechanically is how it used to be done. A significant change from the shift towards chemicals was the enabling of processes like no-till and cover crops that help with soil erosion and other ecological factors.
If you really want to be a smartass you can say with one hundred percent truth that styrofoam and plastic are better for carbon long-term compared to paper and cardboard which break down over time and release it into the atmosphere. (Ignoring the relative accounting of the manufacturing processes themselves for now.)