Most retailers already know plastic bags are being phased out and paper is the compliant alternative. The legal detail, state by state, is covered thoroughly in our guides on Australian single-use plastic bans and the state-by-state 2026 business guide. What's less often covered is the actual process of switching: what to audit before you order, how to pick the right paper equivalent, and how to avoid the mistakes that turn a straightforward compliance change into an expensive one. This is that guide.
Step 1: Audit What You're Actually Using Now
Before you order a single paper bag, work out what your current plastic bags are actually doing for you. Count volume by size and weight category, not just a single "how many bags a week" figure. A bag carrying a single light item and a bag carrying three heavy grocery items are doing completely different jobs, and a one-size paper replacement rarely covers both well.
While you're auditing, check whether you're still holding stock of heavyweight or "boutique" plastic bags bought as an early stopgap. Depending on your state, this stock may already be, or may soon become, a dead-stock risk as regulations tighten further. Our plastic bans guides cover the current state-by-state position in detail if you need to check where your stock sits.
Practical takeaway: You can't pick the right paper bag until you know what your current plastic bags are actually carrying. Skip this step and you'll find out the hard way, at the counter, in week one.
Step 2: Match Paper Equivalents to Your Old Plastic Bags
Paper bags aren't rated the same way plastic film is. There's no direct 1:1 swap between a plastic bag's micron thickness and a paper bag's gsm, so match the actual load your bag needs to carry rather than trying to translate the old bag's category name.
A few practical matching points:
- Weight capacity. Heavier or multi-item loads need higher gsm and a reinforced base, not just a bigger bag.
- Handle type. Twisted paper handles suit lighter, everyday retail use. Flat or reinforced handles suit heavier or bulkier loads. Our guide on types of paper bags covers the material and handle basics in more depth if you're starting from scratch.
- Size range. Most retailers moving off a single "one-size" plastic bag end up needing two to three paper sizes to properly cover what that one bag used to handle.
Practical takeaway: Matching load, not just look, is what avoids under-strength bags that tear on customers in the first few weeks of the switch. A bag that looks similar to the old plastic one isn't necessarily built for the same job.
Step 3: Time the Transition to Avoid Dead Stock
Don't place one large order for a single format right before the next round of regulatory tightening. WA and SA have generally led on stricter rules, and other states have tended to follow, so smaller, more frequent orders during a transition period reduce the risk of ending up with stock that no longer fits the rules, or your own plans.
If you're rolling this out across multiple sites, treat it as a pilot first. Run the new format in one location, confirm bag performance and customer reaction, then scale to the rest of your stores once you're confident it's the right fit.
Practical takeaway: Treat your first bulk order as a trial, not a multi-year stockpile, until the format is proven in-store. It's a lot cheaper to adjust after 1,000 units than after 20,000.
Step 4: Plan the Customer-Facing Side
The bag itself is only part of the switch. Two things worth deciding before launch day:
Charging for bags at checkout. This is increasingly common practice alongside plastic bag phase-outs, though exact rates and rules vary by business and location, so decide your own approach rather than assuming a standard. Whatever you land on, communicate it clearly at point of sale so it doesn't feel like a surprise to regular customers.
Using the switch as a branding moment. Moving from plain plastic to plain kraft is a compliance change. Moving from plain plastic to custom-printed paper is a branding upgrade you're being handed for free by the regulatory timeline. Many retailers use the timing of a forced packaging change to refresh their branding at the same time, since the artwork and print setup cost is a one-off regardless of when you do it.
Practical takeaway: A well-communicated switch, with signage and a quick staff briefing on why and how, reduces customer friction far more than the specific bag you choose. People adapt quickly to a new bag. They notice when nobody explained the change.
Common Mistakes Retailers Make When Switching
- Using heavyweight plastic as a "compliant enough" stopgap. This often just delays the real switch and sets up a second transition shortly after, once regulations catch up to heavyweight formats too.
- Under-ordering handle strength for the actual product weight. This is the single most common source of early customer complaints after a switch.
- Treating it as a one-off purchase. A packaging switch isn't a single order; it's the start of an ongoing supply relationship that needs to account for seasonal spikes and reorder timing.
- Skipping the sample stage. Ordering a full bulk run before testing a small batch in-store is the fastest way to discover a strength or sizing problem at the worst possible scale.
Why Retailers Choose Smartbag for the Switch
We offer sample packs on most plain packaging products, so you can test size, strength, and finish before committing to a bulk order. Our range spans multiple sizes, weights, and handle types, which makes it easier to match the specific plastic use cases you identified in your audit rather than settling for a generic replacement. Minimum order quantities vary by product and whether you need custom printing, so it's worth confirming the specifics for your chosen format with our team. Custom printing is available if you're using the switch as a branding opportunity, and we've supplied wholesale and custom-printed bags to Australian businesses since 2003.
Planning Your Switch?
Contact our team to request a sample pack and test sizes and strength before committing, or to talk through a multi-site rollout plan.