Invention of the shopping bag as we know it was first accredited to a Minnesota grocer named Walter Deubner, who in 1912 patented the paper shopping bag to help customers carry (and therefore purchase) more items. A century later, plastic, paper, non-woven, woven, and canvas bags are as integral to retail as shoppers themselves. In this 3-part series, we present a brief introduction to overseas production of shopping bags. In this post, we look at plastic shopping bags.
Plastic Shopping Bags
Key Benefits: low cost, fast turnaround
Thickness range: 0.2—2 mil
Options Comparison:
| Material | Relative Cost |
Typical Usage | Pros/Cons |
| HDPE (high-density polyethylene) |
$$
|
T-shirt bags, handled shopping bags, pharmaceutical bag | Simple construction; Large quantity produced at low cost; Disposable |
| LDPE (low-density polyethylene) |
$$$
|
Trash bags, supermarket shopping bags | Similar to HDPE, but with higher quality that can be re-used |
| PP (Polypropylene) |
$
|
Clothing, gift, wine bags | Thicker than PE, normally used in fashion retail shops |
| PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) |
$$$$
|
Gift bags, skin care products packaging | Potentially containing toxic properties, flexible, stronger protection |
Production Tips:
1. Anti-dumping—Anti-dumping legislation in the USA and EU in the past few years has made purchasing plastic shopping bags overseas more challenging. Manufacturers are rated and assessed individually for anti-dumping tariffs.
2. CACO3—One way to reduce cost in producing plastic bags is by adding Calcium Carbonate (CACO3) into the plastic sheeting mix. As CACO3 costs less than plastic resin, you will realize a parallel cost reduction from 1-3% of the total cost. However, adding CACO3 results in a weaker bag. Always ask your supplier for details on CACO3 content and any associated cost reduction. We recommend no more than 10-15% total CACO3.
3. Color matching—Plastic bags are produced using gravure printing, a rapid but relatively crude process. This can result in (relatively) poor color registration, artwork distortion and dot gain. Keep your artwork in simple line art format. Ensure that type is at least 12 points, and if you want your trademark symbols to be legible, increase their size a bit. Also, be prepared for small color shifts.
Environmental Tips:
1. Recycled Material—PE bags can be safely produced with as much as 50-60% recycled material.
2. Bio-plastic—‘Plastics’ made from stored carbon found in corn and other starchy vegetables like Polyactide (PLA) can be used to produce approximations of plastic bags. These bags are reputed to degrade in a proper composting environment in as little as a few months. However, PLA bags are much weaker than PE bags, difficult to print on, and are unsuitable for many purposes.
3. Bio-degradeable—The promise of bio-degradable bags is that by inserting trace amounts of additives like cobalt and manganese, plastic bags will break down into basic elements within 2-3 years, (as compared to 100 years or more). Skepticism exists as to the practical applications of this solution, as the bags need oxygen and sunlight to degrade, which are usually not present inside landfills or compost heaps.
