The Brown paper bag, brilliant to some and the Bain to others. For most people this container and kitchen appliance has been in existence for as long as can be remembered. The late 19th Century to be exact, of which the invention credits lead to Francis Wolle under his company Union Paper Bag Machine Company.
Though preferred most in green grocers and bakeries nowadays, the Brown paper bag was once the leading carrier for the market. From the turn of the Century to approximately the mid to late 1980s, all foods were ported from stall or shop to the buyers’ home in the Brown paper bag or BPG. Then the plastic bag emerged.
Since the early 1990s the plastic carrier bag overtook and dominated the BPB, as growing supermarket chains searched for a material that would be more durable and hold further weight and strain. The newer plastic bag was more dependable and literally stopped the usual tearing and spillages of groceries that the paper bag caused.
The Brown paper bag then became and has ever since for the niche. It divides the national perspective of its pros and cons, one sector adore the nostalgia appeal and recyclability as the opposed see it as outdated and too weak to hold anything substantial.
So this begs the question, Should the Brown Paper bag still be in circulation? Yes. Here is why…
Firstly, the BPB is making a comeback. In modern times, or since the mid noughties at least, the general and professional public and media have headlined the changes and dangers towards the climate and environment. This urgency to improve the economy particularly from Scientists has spurned recycling for every household into functionality. In order to feel as part of the national to international movement, independent to global companies began to contribute by removing as much plastic or non-biodegradable materials as possible and replacing them with Clear Plastics, Cards, and Polystyrenne. All of which are considered friendly to the environment when littered or recycled.
The surge of the biodegradable to mass production encouraged manufactures and suppliers to seek cheaper sourced materialism that would not harm or pollute nature. For instance paper. Thus the reintroduction of the friendly Kraft Brown paper bag.
The distribution of the BPB has since been back on the increase as it is cheap to manufacture and simple to export due to its capability of being folded and packaged. This compaction saves space and allows distributors to ship more numbers.
Do Plastic carrier bags not save even more spacing? Possibly.
Are Plastic carrier bags not easier to export on an international scale? No.
The plastic carrier is definitively lighter in weight than the BPB, meaning that shipped loads would be easier to move around from warehouse to ship to lorry to commercial customer. Plastic however has issues that have to be taken into account.
Firstly in the case of an obscure freak accident a fire could erupt and catch the moving stock alight. Plastic his highly flammable and if engulfed in large numbers, environmental and lifestyle dangers heighten and the aftermath potentially catastrophic. Carrier bag manufacturers would both lose money and their reputation in the process. If the Brown paper bag were to be treated in the same light, paper burns at a slower pace and is more manageable to extinguish. Kraft Paper is also cheaper and easier to produce, thus the supplier would not lose as much funds or time in comparison to Plastic. Secondly Paper bags are easier to fold and box than the hardened liquid form, which again saves time management and results in saving outgoing money.
All of the above are bonuses and reasons to keep the BPB for the bag manufacturer.
What about the general public, why should they care?
It is starting to come apparent that people generally do care about nature and the environment and want to protect. According to Colin Dunn of the Treehugger, the nation should prefer the paper bag as they can become compost as a soil nutrient when disposed of or recycled to mixed-paper schemes. The Paper content is also a guaranteed biodegradable whereas most supermarkets still circulate the non-biodegradable Plastic carrier. This knowledge of Paper creates less guilt for consumers of whom recycle or litter the bag.
Patrick Barkham of the The Guardian stated that the Plastic remains the most popular form of carry on the high street, though he led onto mention that this might soon change as the new Cloth bag has been introduced as a means to reduce impact towards the environment by 131 times. The Brown Plastic bag is now becoming a closer second, as branded and fashioned stores such as Primark only offer the BPB. Primark do not do such out of need but rather want, as they market throughout their stores the fact bags are 100% recyclable. This statement has become part of the brands promotion campaign and slogan for their company image. This capitalisation on the fact they distribute eco-friendly bags is a signifier towards customers that the company is also indeed friendly, a technique to persuade and enlarge custom and economic intake.
This marketing strategy has been noticed by others of whom have followed suit.
Remember at the start of the article the main issue with the BPB was its weakness of holding substantial weight. This was the main argument for disbanding the carrier and opting completely for Plastic. The Kraft Brown paper bag should remain circulated as these disadvantages are no longer the case.
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Due to the resurgence of the BPB manufacturers and suppliers (such as R & R Packaging) have focused on improving the thickness and durability. Most also come accustomed with folded handles, unlike those of yesteryear. This change in the Paper composition, and the fact that the Paper bag offers around 7 differential sizes opposed to the 1 or 2 of Plastic, has influenced their functionality in the ever popular sandwich shops and takeaway.
If all of the above were not a strong case to argue the reasons behind the circulation of the Brown paper bag, then the process of branding the bags should help persuade. Literally all bags in store are labelled with the store logo as a means of advertising and communicating to the outside. The problems raised by environmentalists is that branding or colouring bags requires chemical agents to dye, which are simply harmful toxins. Brown paper bags however can do the same job by being naturally coloured or dyed through soy or veggie-based inks.
To the benefit of the brand, paper crumples or misshapes less than Plastic for a flatter surface. This enables the logo to remain in its entirety and influence customers more often.
Though the Brown Paper bag might still be less popular than the Plastic carrier, and have problems as does its competitor, it has many beneficial reasons for all involved to stay in circulation.
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