1. Paper is the new black
Paper bags have made a comeback and have become super trendy in recent times.
The luxury, high-end fashion boutiques on the high street have long understood that a paper bag can be stylish and sophisticated. A company’s packaging choices speak volumes about their brand identity and reveals a lot about their values as a business.
Whether you choose a fashionable glossy laminated bag with rope handles, or a simple white or brown kraft paper bag, paper is the new black.
Custom printed paper bags can be a valuable tool in your marketing arsenal. Printing your logo, company name or design in full colour onto your paper bags and packaging ensures every customer walking out your door becomes a brand ambassador. And you don’t need long lead times with Smartbag’s Custom Print service.
There is nothing better for business than a smiling customer carrying a paper bag displaying your name.
2. It’s Not Plastic
We all know by now that plastic packaging is bad.
With the recent plastic bans across Australia and the World, plastic bags are fast becoming a thing of the past.
And a good thing, too!
Plastic is a marvellous invention, but the problem is that it is difficult to dispose of.
It is gradually choking our waterways, our sea life and even infiltrating our own bodies. Microplastics, or nanoplastics, the tiny plastic particles resulting from the breakdown of plastic, have been discovered in fresh fruit and vegetables, drinking water, even beer.
There is so much plastic waste to deal with that the problem sometimes seems overwhelming, but an easy place to start is to swap out plastic bags for paper ones.
3. Innovation in the Paper Industry is Good for the Environment
Companies like Woolworths and Coles are replacing their heavy plastic bags with brown paper bags and drastically reducing the plastic packaging in their fresh food options.
These simple changes make a huge difference. The phasing out of Woolworths’ 15c plastic bags has removed 9,000 tonnes of plastic from circulation over the last four years. They have also changed the plastic packaging on over 550 products vastly cutting down on the plastic in their bakery, fresh produce, and milk product line.
Companies across the globe are experimenting with paper products in an effort to replace plastic options.
Iceland, a British supermarket, has introduced a paper pouch for its frozen seafood range. Samsung has just released its Galaxy S22 packaged completely in 100% recycled paper packaging, while Carlsberg Group is trialling paper beer bottles in a European pilot program.
4. Paper is the Ultimate Recyclable
Did you know that a tissue box could have been a pizza box or an egg carton in its previous life? And your printer paper could have once been, well, more printer paper.
When paper is pulped and recycled, it can be made into dozens of new products, such as cardboard boxes, magazines, and toilet paper. In 2019-2020 the Australia’s pulp and paper industry recycled 1.8million tonnes of recovered paper, most of which was turned into corrugated boxes.
But before you bin the bag, think about ways to reuse your bags and boxes.
Paper bags are great for packing lunches, are fantastic for kids’ arts and craft activities, and with a little imagination and a few coloured markers, can be turned into gift wrapping. Even the family pet can spend hours playing with a paper bag or an empty box.
Then, when you are done, the paper bags and cardboard boxes can be recycled – up to seven times. Recycling paper bags and boxes help to keep them out of landfill longer, so it is time to start changing your throw-away habits.
Throw your excess brown paper bags into your home recycling bin. Flatten large cardboard cartons and boxes and place them out for recycling. Check labels on your food packaging as many now carry the appropriate recycling symbol.
You can even shred brown paper bags to add to your compost bin, making excellent mulch for your garden.
5. Sized to Suit your Needs
In the early days of e-commerce, buying a book online meant taking delivery of a giant cardboard carton - containing one book. Now companies like Booktopia and Amazon have produced better ways to bundle their products in more appropriately sized packaging. It is no longer “one-size-box-fits-all”.
A shop selling shoes may need bigger bags and boxes than a jewellery store, so it is important as a retailer or business owner to be able to purchase the right size to minimise wastage.
So, there you have it … 5 good reasons to love paper bags.
Pop over to the Smartbag website to check out the wide range of brown paper bags, white paper bags, laminated luxury paper bags, and mailing and postage box options.
There is also a range of takeaway paper bags with handles suitable for restaurants and food delivery services and a variety of grocery bags for corner stores and supermarkets.