Paper bags have been an integral part of our lives for centuries. From simple wrapping to carrying small quantities of groceries and clothing to sweets and vegetables, paper bags have literally been there.
With a surface ideal for printing and high-quality imaging the humble paper always made its presence felt. And it was almost taken for granted, it will forever be there. Or so we thought. Then along came the plastic bag. With its strength, durability, endurance and ability to shield what’s inside from the external environment, it’s no wonder it soon became a darling of trade and commerce. And plastic began to rule the world.
But plastic’s strength, durability and endurance proved its undoing. More so with single use thin plastic bags. The world started experiencing the life and environmental threatening from non-biodegradable polluting plastic. The fact that the single use thin plastic bags are non-recyclable, difficult to dispose and lead to toxicity accelerated the push for environment friendly options.
Pushed to the side line the humble paper bag had lingered around, happy in its small world. Probably sure that sooner or later the world soon returns to its roots, closer to nature. Closer to serving commerce and trade, the once it used to.
And more importantly, it had evolved from being perceived as a reason for deforestation to the forest and environmentally friendly options. The biodegradable and compostable paper bag now has multiple sources that not only take it closer to nature but also highlight the environmental consciousness of the ones using it.
So welcome to a new world of paper bags which are sourced from
1) FSC Certified Paper: Forest Stewardship Council is an international, non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC helps take care of forests and the people and wildlife who call them home. FSC certified forests are managed to the highest environmental, social and economic standards where Paper companies plant trees and harvest them to produce paper without damaging the environment.
2) Recycled paper: Recycled papers have as much as 80% reused/ recycled paper fibres. Moreover recycled paper is the greener option, it uses less energy, water, and produces lower carbon emissions.
3) Bagasse: Bagasse is a dry and pulpy fibrous residue left behind when sugarcane stalks are crushed. The cellulose content of bagasse makes it viable as a fibrous raw material in the paper industry. Bagasse paper is thus recyclable and environment friendly option.
4) Straw fibres – Making paper out of agricultural residues such as straw waste is a smart way to alleviate pressure on forest ecosystems and provide sustainable business solutions.
5) Coconut husks – Focusing primarily on quality of strength, coconut husk is an effective alternative material in producing paper. Using coconut husk instead of papyrus can save a lot of trees from being cut. This can reduce pollution in the environment and also have a positive impact on the environment.
6) Jute – Jute pulp is almost as good as wood pulp for making paper. Jute possesses all the attributes of quality paper — long, thick-walled, bulky fibres and low cellulose and lignin (a carbohydrate resistant to compression and tension) content. And yes its environment friendly too. JUTE BAGS
7) Elephant excreta – dung is collected, recycled and used for paper manufacturing. The price and quality is similar to standard paper, but with the added benefit of reducing deforestation.
Since they are sourced from easily decomposable material and manufactured using state of the art green technology they take less time to disintegrate and decompose. Thus they provide considerable benefits over plastic. Given below are few of those
1. Biodegradable – It degrades. Unlike plastic, you don’t have to wait for longer period for paper bags to degrade.
2. Recyclable – The word says it all. The recycling of paper is the process by which waste paper is turned into new paper products and reused. It has a number of important benefits: It saves waste paper from occupying homes of people and producing methane as it breaks down. At present Paper is highest recycled raw material in packaging Industry.
3. Reusable – With technology helping add strength and durability, paper bags are reusable.
4. Protect nature – Since paper bags disintegrate and are biodegradable, the bags help in keeping nature clean, reduce the possible threats to marine and wildlife.
5. Paper bags present less of a suffocation risk to young children or animals.
6. Helps cutting down on toxic waste and reduce landfills around the world.
7. They are compostable. Thus using compostable paper bags reduces greenhouse gases, returns nutrients back to the earth and improves soil quality, and costs less than sending waste to landfills.
While these benefits are indicative, there are more benefits which paper bags do for business, commerce and trade.
1. Make your brand stand out – custom-designed bags help your brand stand out and create a unique identity that your customers want to be identified with.
2. Paper bags help promote your brand. With ideal for printing, high-quality images, paper bags present you with the opportunity to create a premium look and finish to your packaging.
3. They are your brand ambassadors. While your customers move around with your custom-designed, high-quality image printed, premium look bag; your bag is doing all the talking for you and your business. Reach more households while your customer heads home.
4. Be known as the one who cares for nature. By using, promoting re-use, recycling of paper bags you are a step closer to being recognized as an environment-friendly business doing your bit for nature.