Carrier Bags | ||
For all your carrier bag needs | ||
![]() | ||
Carrier bagsBuy from a massive range of best value carrier bags now, including clear, coloured, biodegradable and printed carriers. Carrier bags are...
What people are sharing about laundry film10 polythene suppliers Garment Covers Dry Cleaner Bags 24" x 38"polythene suppliers garment covers keep safe finished clothing from dust, moisture and scuffing while it transports through cleaning, storage and dispatch. A 24 x 38 size suits longer items like coats, dresses and heavier hangers, and the transparent film lets staff check the contents without opening each bag. The thin gauge retains the pack light and efficient, nevertheless the proper value lies in keeping garments clean after pressing and before assortment. If the film is also tight, creasing and snagging become more likely; if it is also loose, the cover slips off in transit. A well-chosen garment cover saves rework at the point of handover and retains stock looking presentable on arrival. Fully Soluble Commercial Laundry BagsCommercial laundry bags need to open cleanly at the proper point in the wash, and a dissolvable seam is a practical method to make that happen. A polyethylene bag gives the strength needed for handling, stacking and transport, while the soluble seam splits early in the cycle so contaminated linen is released without additional manual handling. A water-soluble tie tape retains the opening secure until the bag reaches the laundry process, which assists control spills and retains dirty linen contained amid assortment. That combination of robust film and controlled failure suits hygienic operations far better than a bag that tears unpredictably. When the material and closure are matched properly, handling is safer and the wash process runs more smoothly. In the packing market, the old flat-pack-versus-roll argument persists because each method answers a alternative mechanical problem. Rolled garmentsjeans, tees, knitwearcollapse into the voids between bulkier items and make better use of volumetric efficiency, nevertheless they still invite distortion if the bundle is left to wander inside the case. Flat packing, by contrast, suits more fragile clothing; dresses, blouses and tailored suiting sit more adequately in plastic dry cleaning bags, where the low-friction surface assists prevent snagging and reduces the creasing that comes from fibre-on-fibre abrasion. That same thinking is why compression formats have gained traction for travellers who need to maintain select-face efficiency in a confined space: separated compartments retain clean and soiled stock apart, while the reduction in tare weight compared with rigid organisers leaves more margin for secondary packing. Even the mundane matter of footwear is treated with a warehouse mentality; wrapping shoes in spare carrier bags limits cross-pollution, and the familiar dead-space principle applies inside the shoe itself, where small items can be nested to improve overall load stability. The result is not glamour, merely sensible consignment managementless air moved for the same usable volume, and a cleaner return journey. Garment film has become a quiet workhorse in the apparel supply chain, not least because it answers a very specific warehouse problem: keeping folded stock presentable, protected and readable without loading the consignment with unnecessary tare weight. In practice, the better grades are engineered around controlled gauging and stable melt-flow consistency, so the film draws cleanly, seals predictably and resists the sort of snagging that disrupts select-face efficiency on a busy packing line. Where mono-material specifications are being pushed harder, the argument is no longer simply about presentation; it is about recycling compatibility, secondary bagging reduction and the amortised energy cost of moving lighter, more volumetrically efficient pack formats through stockholding and distribution. The result is a polythene suppliers solution that sits adequately between handling practicality and circular-economy discipline, rather than pretending those two priorities are somehow separate. Clear garment bags with zip fastening, provided at wholesale level, sit at the practical intersection of presentation and handling discipline; the transparency is not merely cosmetic, since it enables stock controllers to confirm garment type, colourway and count at a glance, reducing mis-selects at the rack and easing select-face efficiency when volumes are moving. In polythene suppliers terms, the better grades rely on tighter molecular orientation and consistent gauge control, so the bag grasps its shape through secondary bagging and transit without collapsing into a flimsy sleeve; that, in turn, improves volumetric efficiency in tote, cage and pallet loading, while the zip closure offers a repeatable seal that retains dust ingress and incidental snagging to a minimum. For operatours, the appeal lies in standardisation: a mono-material format can be easier to channel back through recycling streams, and when the film spec is properly matched to tare weight and folding behaviour, the result is less wasted space, cleaner stock presentation and less avoidable losses on the warehouse floor. White hotel drawstring plastic laundry bagA white drawstring laundry bag for hotel use tends to be judged as a trivial consumable until the operational detail is examined properly. In practice, the specification turns on the behaviour of the polythene suppliers film below repetitive handlingwet linens, sharp garment hardware and overfilled loads all expose weaknesses in gauge control and seal integrity. A high-density or carefully blended low-gauge formulation can reduce tare weight and improve volumetric efficiency across a consignment, nevertheless only if melt-flow consistency is tightly held; drift in the extrusion dash shows up fast as split side-welds, necking around the draw-cord channel and poor pallet stability once outer cartons are stacked. The white pigmentation is not merely cosmetic, either: opacity assists discreet housekeeping movements and clearer stock segregation at the select-face, although it has implications for reprocessing if the bag is not designed as a straightforward mono-material stream. Where static cling interferes with opening speed on the floor, anti-static treatment or subtle surface modification mitigates secondary bagging delays without compromising slip properties, and that matters when laundry turns are measured in minutes rather than shifts. The more competent formats balance surface resistivity, puncture tolerance and cord retention with circular-economy disciplinenamely a structure that remains mechanically proper in service while still lending itself to cleaner recyclability and a more sensible amortised energy profile above high-volume use. Printed laundry bags sit in an awkward nevertheless technically demanding corner of transit packaging: they must present cleanly at the select face, dash without hesitation through automatic bagging equipment, and still tolerate the abuse of secondary handling once a consignment leaves the laundry line. In practice that pushes specifiers towards virgin-grade LDPE, not for appearances alone nevertheless for melt-flow consistency, seal integrity and the sort of optical clarity that enables barcoded dockets or garment identification slips to remain legible through the film. The gauge window matters above casual buyers often thinkaround the low tens of microns there is a narrow balance between tare weight, puncture resistance and pallet stability; also light and the bag necks down below load, also heavy and volumetric efficiency suffers for no operational earn. Printing adds another layer of engineering friction, because ink stickiness, slip behaviour and surface resistivity all influence whether the web tracks cleanly on high-speed form-occupy-seal equipment or starts to misfeed and block. The more competent converters deal with that by controlling corona treatment, maintaining tight micron-specific tolerances across the reel, and designing the print repeat so branding or handling instructions do not compromise registration at the seal bar. There is also a circular-economy argument, though it is rarely presented with much subtlety: a mono-material polythene suppliers building is markedly easier to recover than laminated alternatives, provided pigment loading and print coverage are kept within sensible bounds and pollution from the wash-house is managed. In other words, the unremarkable laundry bag is only unremarkable until the line stops; then all decision in resin selection, core diameter, reel length and print chemistry becomes visible on the warehouse floor. Plastic garment covers sit in an awkward nevertheless highly practical corner of transit packaging: they are expected to present cleanly on a rail, survive secondary bagging, and do so without adding pointless tare weight to a hanging consignment. In practice, the engineering hinges on film behaviour rather than mere appearance. A transparent polythene suppliers sleeve with stable micron-specific gauging and consistent melt-flow across the web will drape without excessive memory, resist splitting around hanger points, and maintain enough slip for fast handling at the select-face; acquire that balance gross and the warehouse floor fast sees snagging, static cling and awkward pallet stability once packed garments start shifting below compression. The more competent specifications tend to rely on high-density polymer chains to maintain tensile integrity at relatively modest gauge, which improves volumetric efficiency while keeping the covers light enough not to distort hanging stock above time. There is also a circular-economy logic when the format remains mono-material: clean polythene suppliers waste streams are simpler to recover, reprocess and reincorporate, and the amortised energy profile becomes more defensible when the film is thin, uniform and less prone to premature failure. For laundries, fulfilment houses and dry-cleaning operations alike, that combination of surface clarity, puncture resistance and recyclability is less about presentation than about disciplined materials handling. EFTSBY227 Top quality waterproof transparent plastic garment bags with pocketsClear garment bags for apparel handling sit in a rather technical corner of the packaging trade; on the face of it they are merely transparent polythene suppliers covers, yet the engineering brief is tighter than plenty outside the sectour like. The film has to grasp a stable gauge across high-output conversion, maintain enough clarity for fast SKU recognition at the select-face, and still resist splitting around pocket seams where stress concentrates amid secondary bagging and hanger loading. Waterproofing, in practice, is less about dramatic liquid exclusion than about managing seam integrity, puncture resistance and surface behaviour below warehouse condensation, cross-dock handling and tightly packed consignments. Where pockets are introduced, the converter is balancing added document retention against tare weight creep and pallet density, because all additional layer of film alters both volumetric efficiency and the method stacks sit below compression. The more competent specifications tend to rely on disciplined melt-flow consistency and high-density polymer chain control so the bag remains crisp enough for automated handling, without becoming so noisy or brittle that it slows fulfilment. There is also a circular-economy question lurking behind what sees like a simple line item: a mono-material polythene suppliers format, provided inks, labels and closures are kept in check, is far easier to recover than mixed-substrate alternatives, and the amortised energy case improves markedly when damage reduction, stock protection and lower spoilage are counted properly rather than treated as an afterthought. Dry cleaning bags sit in an awkward nevertheless telling corner of transit and presentation packaging: they are expected to drape cleanly above garments, resist snagging on hangers and rails, and still dash at speed through secondary bagging lines without necking, fisheyes or erratic seal behaviour. That pushes converters towards carefully controlled polythene suppliers formulationstypically with micron-specific gauging tight enough to maintain tear propagation resistance while keeping tare weight from quietly eroding volumetric efficiency across a full consignment. On the warehouse floor, the practical irritants are rarely glamorous. Static build can make bags cling to themselves rather than the garment; excessive slip can compromise select-face efficiency and lead to awkward handling at dispatch; poor melt-flow consistency shows up later as split seams, inconsistent perforations and wasted stock. The better-engineered reply is not simply more material, nevertheless a balanced film structure with predictable surface behaviour, sensible coefficient-of-friction control and, where the application warrants it, anti-static treatment that mitigates dust attraction without upsetting clarity. There is also the circular economy question, which is no longer a sideline matter: mono-material polythene suppliers streams remain easier to recover than laminated alternatives, and the amortised energy case improves markedly when downgauging is achieved without compromising pallet stability or garment protection in transit. In that respect, dry cleaning bags share more with pallet wrap, bubble wrap and mattress covers than first appearances recommendthey are all judged by the same industrial arithmetic of material integrity, handling efficiency and what remains viable once the bag has served its brief life in the system. Carrier bags - take your pickCarrier bags come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with a bag available to suit any retailer. Here are some of the most popular styles of carrier bags used today: Vest - The best known carrier bag in the UK and beyond, traditionally used by supermarkets, smaller food stores, general stores and market traders. Made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and available in a variety of colours, plain or printed, these bags are lightweight but strong. Handles are attached to each side of the bag make it look like a vest from the front, hence the name. Provided they are not over-filled, these bags are capable of handling regular shopping with ease. Patch handle - A more glossy and sturdy carrier bag, commonly used by high street stores to impress their customers. Made from thicker polythene than vest carriers to provide extra strength, these rectangular bags have a handle punched out of the top, reinforced by an extra patch of polythene, which gives the bags its name. Available in clear or coloured polythene and the perfect bag on which to print a design or logo to advertise the retailer, hence the popularity with high street retailers. Varigauge - Similar in appearance to its patch handle cousin, the varigauge carrier bag is rectangular in shape with a handle punched out. However, the clever use of a varied gauge - or thickness - of polythene, which is twice as thick at the top of the bag than it is at the bottom, means that the need to reinforce the handle with a patch is avoided. Available in a variety of colours, these strong bags with extra room thanks to a bottom gusset, are very popular with retailers keen to make a good impression with customers. Clip close - These strong rectangular bags have an integral white clip attached right across the top of the bag that clip closes shut, giving the bag its name. Made from thick clear polythene with a side gusset, these bags allow retailers to display their products, whilst not compromising on bag strength or quality. The sturdy clip also allows you to hang up the bag - and contents - to really show it off. Flexiloop - These luxury carriers take their name from the flexiloop handle that is attached - by heat-welding - to the inside of the bag on both sides. Popular with supermarkets who sell them as ‘Bags for life’ - encouraging customers to reuse the bag - flexiloop carriers are made from thicker polythene than regular carriers, which makes them more expensive to produce. Paper versions of the flexiloop carrier bag are popular with boutique shops or fancy high street retailers. Duffle - A sturdy polythene bag featuring a cord threaded around the top opening and down the sides of the bag. Pull the cord to close the bag tight and loosen to open. Useful for carrying bulky or weighty items and handy to carry, so often used by sportspeople as a kit bag. Also popular with sports shoe retailers. Drawstring - Less sturdy than the duffle bag, so not suitable for similarly bulky contents, but operate on a similar principle. Drawstring bags feature two strings looped around the opening of the bag, with the ends of the drawstring appearing through separate openings adjacent to each other. When pulled at the same time, the strings tighten together and the bag closes. Typically made from clear polythene, these bags are a popular way of displaying products in a shop. Grip Seal - A cross between a carrier bag and a grip seal bag, these bags contain an integral grip seal that runs across the width of the bag just below the cut-out handle. Simply squeeze the grip seal between forefinger and thumb to seal the bag shut, providing protection from rain or other external contaminants, then gently pull apart to open and repeat as many times as you wish. With a clear polythene front, a handle for hanging and a glossy finish, these bags are a great way to display your products. Show off your business with printed carriersPrinted carrier bags are an ideal way for businesses to advertise directly into their local community. Take a plain patch handle carrier and turn it from the smart, sturdy carrier bag it normally is into a walking advert for your business. Businesses have to provide carrier bags to their customers anyway, so why not pay a little more for them and get something back from the carrier bags once they have left your shop. By adding your company logo or design to one or both sides of your carrier bags, you not only make your business look more professional and more eye-catching, but you let your customers act as mobile advertisers, when they leave your store and walk around others in the area with your company branding there for all to see. You can even add a slogan or advertising message to tell your potential customers exactly what they need to know about your store. All this, carried straight out into the heart of your target market and the hundreds or thousands of other potential customers out there. Not only do printed carriers help attract new customers, but they also reinforce the message to existing customers that you are a professional, reliable and smart retailer. So next time they go to their cupboard or car boot and see your carrier bag, they see your bag, that initial good impression is reinforced and they move that step closer to being a return customer. So why bother with plain carrier bags? Go one step further and design your own printed carriers, complete with your company branding, to take your business to the next level. |
Where to buy carrier bagsCarrier bag manufacturers and suppliers include:
Carrier Bags
Personalised Carrier Bags
Printed Carrier Bags
Carrier Bag
Buy Carrier Bags
Printed Carriers
Printed Bags
Carrier Bag Printing
Coloured Carrier Bags
Patch Handle Carrier Bags
Coloured Plastic Bags
Plastic Carrier Bags |
|
Ten things heard in conversations about laundry filmPoly dry cleaning bags changed garment protection by showing how a light plastic film could outperform brown paper in the shop and in transit. Paper had been familiar, nevertheless it absorbed moisture, tore more easily, and gave small protection once clothes were packed for assortment or stored in a busy back room. A polythene suppliers bag on a roll is quicker to dispense, retains garments visually clean, and assists reduce handling labels on finished work. The proper value lies in speed at the counter and a better first impression when the clothing comes back to the client. That shift manufactured simple plastic packaging part of daily laundry and shopping practice. A transparent garment cover assists clothing stay visible while still being protected from dust and handling labels. In a warehouse or stockroom, that transparency saves time because staff can identify the item at a glance without unzipping or opening the cover, which cuts down on additional handling and the risk of creasing. The breathable material also matters, since sealed plastic around garments can trap moisture and make stored clothes feel stale or damp after standing for a while. A well-manufactured transparent cover retains the garment presentable, speeds up picking and dispatch, and makes checking stock much simpler when racks are full. 40″ Poly Garment Bags Clear 50PkAt 40in, transparent poly garment bags sit in that practical middle ground where warehouse handling, shopping presentation and transport economy have to co-exist without fuss. The transparent gauge enables immediate visual stock identification on the rail or in secondary bagging, while the length accommodates full-length garments without forcing awkward folding that would compromise presentation or invite creasing; on the floor, that translates into cleaner select-face efficiency and less rework touches. Material selection matters here as well: a consistent polythene suppliers structure assists maintain tear resistance, retains surface resistivity within manageable bounds for handling, and assists proper sealing or packing at speed. Supplied in packs of 50, the consignment format also makes sense from a volumetric standpoint easier to allocate against stock demand, simpler to stage at the packing bench, and less likely to disrupt pallet stability than mixed, above-packed alternatives. The mono-material profile further assists recyclability, which is increasingly relevant where housekeeping, feedstock recovery and amortised energy use are being watched rather more closely than before. Water-Soluble Laundry Bags : An Evaluation of Two Types of Plastic Laundry BagsThe practical value of plastic laundry bags is rarely found in the apparant place. What matters on the ward-to-washstream interface is how the polythene suppliers behaves below load, whether the gauge grasps when the consignment is tied off, and how readily the material dissolves or opens below controlled heat and agitation without leaving residue in the machines. A well-specified bag reduces manual handling, nevertheless it also has to satisfy the more prosaic requirements of tare weight, pallet stability and select-face efficiency once it is stacked, issued and moved through stock. In that respect, the engineering question is not simply containment; it is whether the film formulation offers consistent melt-flow, sufficient seam integrity and a mono-material route that does not complicate downstream recovery. The better solutions tend to be those that balance micron-specific gauging with a small footprint in storage, thereby facilitating secondary bagging where required and avoiding the familiar waste of overbuilt packaging that serves none on the wash floor. A transparent garment bag at 40in x 24in sits squarely in the practical lane of site handling rather than the glossy stop of the market; the dimensions lend themselves to normal hanging stock, with enough depth to maintain the profile of tailored parts without excessive fold stress. In polythene suppliers terms, transparency assists select-face efficiency and stock verification, while the bag's format assists retain tare weight low and volumetric efficiency respectable across secondary bagging and outbound consignment stages. There is also a quiet circularity to the thing: a straightforward, mono-material building is easier to process at stop of life, and the absence of unnecessary embellishment reduces material loading without compromising the handling properties that matter on a busy warehouse floor. In the wholesale garment bags trade, the conversation on quality is rarely about ornament; it turns instead on film behaviour, sealing discipline and how the bag performs once it leaves the converting line and meets the rack, the select-face and the delivery cage. A well-manufactured garment bag relies on stable gauge control across the web, consistent melt-flow amid extrusion and polythene suppliers formulations that resist split propagation at the hanger aperturebecause that is where failure normally declares itself, not in the laboratory nevertheless in store handling and secondary bagging. There is a logistical argument as well: low tare weight improves volumetric efficiency across a consignment, yet down-gauging without regard to puncture resistance or pallet stability simply displaces cost into damage, rework and stock loss. Better operatours have moved towards mono-material structures where potential, balancing clarity, surface slip and weld integrity so the article presents cleanly while remaining straightforward to recover in recycling streams; that circular economy proposition only stands up, nevertheless, if the bag survives first use without scuffing, blocking or static-related handling delays. The sectour's proper differentiatour, then, lies in marrying presentation with warehouse realitytailored formats, venting where needed, and micron-specific gauging that reflects the garment's weight and drape rather than a generic specification copied across the spectrum. Wholesale Laundry Bags Now Available At Wholesale CentralWholesale laundry bags occupy a rather more technical niche than the trade shorthand recommends; on the warehouse floor, the contrast between a bag that merely contains soiled linen and one that performs properly through handling, transport and washroom segregation is bound up with film structure, seam integrity and gauge discipline. In practice, high-density or blended polythene suppliers formulations are often specified not for appearance, nevertheless because polymer-chain orientation and controlled melt-flow consistency enable a thinner wall without surrendering puncture resistance, which has a direct bearing on tare weight impact and volumetric efficiency across a mixed consignment. Colour coding may read as a simple stock-keeping device, yet it also assists select-face efficiency and reduces sorting errour where secondary bagging is required for damp or contaminated loads; that matters when pallet stability is being tested by uneven, compressible loads rather than tidy cartons. There is also the circular-economy question, which is no longer peripheral: mono-material building facilitates cleaner recovery streams, while unnecessary laminates and mixed-component closures tend to complicate recyclability and raise the amortised energy burden of each use cycle. The industrial preference, then, is for bags engineered with sufficient dart-drop performance, predictable surface behaviour and proper seal strengthplain, robust, and suited to repeated handlingrather than decorative stock that sees the part nevertheless creates friction at despatch, in transit, and at the laundry intake bench. polythene suppliers garment covers sit in a slightly gross corner of film conversion: the article itself appears straightforward, yet the manufacturing line has to reconcile clarity, slip behaviour and seal integrity with the awkward realities of hanging apparel logistics. For this class of cover, film blowing and bag conversion are normally tuned around tight micron-specific gauging, because even minour tolerance across the web shows up immediately on the hanger rail as uneven drape, seal distortion or wasted stock in secondary bagging. HDPE brings stiffness and lower tare weight, which assists pallet stability and volumetric efficiency across dense consignments, while LDPE is often introduced where softer hand-feel, dart impact resistance and more forgiving seal windows are required; the engineering interest lies in balancing those resin behaviours without sacrificing melt-flow consistency at the die. On the factory floor, double-head output can make sense where throughput and format flexibility are being chased simultaneously, nevertheless only if static control, corona treatment discipline and winding tension are held properlyotherwise select-face efficiency downstream is quietly impaired by blocking, poor opening properties and misfeeds on the packing line. There is also a circular economy argument that has become harder to ignore: a mono-material polythene suppliers cover, manufactured with disciplined gauge reduction and clean trim recovery, is far easier to bring back into a recyclability stream than heavily compounded alternatives, particularly where amortised energy per unit is scrutinised alongside the simple question of how much air is being moved for all hanging garment in the consignment. Large Commercial Laundry BagsIn the commercial wash trade, the bag is rarely a throwaway afterthought; it sits at the junction between handling efficiency, pollution control and transport economics. Commercial laundry bags have to tolerate awkward, shifting loads of towels, linen and workwear without seam creep or neck distortion, which is why gauge, weave density and draw-cord hardware matter above list of products adjectives recommend. Woven polyester and nylon variants still grasp ground where abrasion, wet-strength retention and repeated secondary bagging are part of the duty cycle, nevertheless heavy-gauge polythene suppliers formats are often chosen where tare weight, stackability and simple stock control take precedence. That selection has consequences on the floor: a bag with poor surface stop or inconsistent melt-flow amid conversion tends to snag on cage-work, resist fast filling at the sort bench and compromise pallet stability once consignments are marshalled for onward movement. Better-specified buildings mitigate that friction through cleaner seal geometry, more predictable elongation below load and closures that can be operated one-handed without interrupting select-face efficiency. There is also the less glamorous arithmetic of recovery and disposalmono-material polythene suppliers streams are easier to segregate and reprocess than mixed-component assemblies, so where the usage profile assists it, recyclability and amortised energy per cycle become part of the procurement logic rather than an afterthought. Dry-cleaning bags sit in an awkward corner of the packaging trade: feather-light in tare weight and highly efficient in volumetric terms, yet often swept into the same policy basket as heavier-format carrier stock despite serving a rather alternative technical function. The film itself is typically a low-gauge polythene suppliers sleeve engineered for clarity, slip and consistent seal behaviour; that means high-density polymer chains may be blended or tuned to grasp micron-specific gauging across long production runs, while surface resistivity and static build-up still have to be managed so garments do not cling, distort or foul automated secondary bagging. On the warehouse floor, the attraction is plain enough compact reel stock, stable pallet counts and minimal impact on hanging-garment select-face efficiency nevertheless regulation tends to expose the friction points that operatours already know well: pollution from mixed-material streams, poor recovery rates once bags are removed at the point of use, and the awkward fact that a mono-material film can be technically recyclable while remaining commercially unattractive as mail-consumer feedstock. That, in practice, is where the discussion becomes more engineering than rhetoric; if the trade is pushed towards substitute substrates or heavier buildings, the earn in perceived waste reduction has to be set against downgauging limits, melt-flow consistency in recycled content, crease performance, and the amortised energy tied up in moving bulkier protective formats through the garment-care chain. Research & ResourcesFor more information on carrier bags, the wide range of polythene and biodegradable carriers available, their many uses and how to recycle them, please visit: Goldstork: A free online 'best-of-the-web' directory listing specially selected information on a wide range of plain and printed carrier bags. PackagingKnowledge: The UK's premier polythene packaging knowledge website, containing loads of useful information and in-depth articles on carrier bags, as read by those in the industry. PlasticBags.uk.com: List products for free as a manufacturer or, if you're shopper, simply browse a massive selection of carrier bags websites on this unrivalled polythene packaging directory. |
||
Single-use carriers? No such thing!The carrier bag is often portrayed in the media as the single biggest cause of pollution and litter on the planet. Most commonly, the high density polythene (HDPE) carrier bag used by supermarkets is singled out as the biggest culprit. These bags, which are subject to a government levy in many countries - meaning customer have to pay a few pence or cents for each bag they use - are often referred to as “single-use carriers”, which is a term that is not only misleading but also irresponsible. Carrier bags should be reused as often as possible and by calling them “single-use carriers” - including in newspaper articles widely criticising the use of such bags - the implication is there that the bags should be thrown away. This is giving entirely the wrong message to customers and does not represent the facts. 82% of UK households reuse over half of all carrier bags they use, with 59% reusing all of them (Waste Resources Action Programme report, 2005). There are so many things you can do with a carrier bag once you’ve used it to carry your shopping home. The most obvious is to take it back to the shop and use it again for its original purpose - to carry shopping! But you can also use carrier bags for wrapping your packed lunch, or as a portable laundry bag when you go on holiday, or wrapping shoes in a suitcase to keep your clothes clean. There are loads of things you can use it for if you put your mind to it, so use your carriers again and again. Even when your carrier has seen better days and you’re ready to throw it out, you can give it one final hurrah and use it as a rubbish bag before throwing it in the bin. There’s no such thing as a single use carrier bag - at least there shouldn’t be! |
||