Brown paper bags are a packaging essential but how are they made in 2022 and are they really eco-friendly?
Paper bags have been a shopping staple for centuries. Brown paper bags, white paper bags, paper bags with handles or without, there are multiple different types of paper bags that have become part of our daily lives without us even realising.
Have you ever thought about how a paper bag is made though? Or when they first came into use? We’ve put together this guide on how paper bags are made in 2022 to answer exactly that.
Paper bags have become everyday packaging staples but you might be surprised to learn just how long they have been around. The first paper bag was invented back in the 1800’s in the United States. While the very first brown paper bag appeared in the 1870’s, it was actually in the 1850’s that a US school teacher, Francis Wolle, invented the first machine to create paper bags.
Following his invention Wolle and his brother went on to found Union Paper Bag Machine Company alongside a paper packaging plant in 1869 that was capable of producing 1000 feet of paper in one minute. That very paper packaging plant is still in operation today! Whilst it was Wolle who invented the machine to actually make a paper bag, the iconic square-bottomed paper bag design that we’ve become accustomed to was the work of Luther Childs Crowell in the 1870’s.
Who would have thought that the humble brown paper bag would still be such an essential over 150 years later?!
Whilst the process of making paper bags today has advanced from Wolle’s original designs, the principle remains largely the same. Paper bags are made on large machines and for every 1 paper bag produced, 1 gallon of water is required. The process of manufacturing a paper bag starts with paper pulp, which is essentially thin shavings of wood from trees.
The paper pulp comes from trees that have been dried for at least three years. The dried tree bark is stripped, cut into 1-inch strips and then cooked into pulp using intense pressure and heat.
The paper pulp is then pressed into flat sheets or rolls of paper. These sheets and rolls will be cut to size (usually twice the required height of the finished paper bag) and then folded over. The two parallel open sides will be glued together either by pressing the glued sides together or via heating and pressing. Once complete you’ll have a simple flat paper bag (like the kind you might get from a sweet shop). If you want to make a more complex design, such as a flat-bottomed bag, you follow the same process but simply include more complex folds along the bottom of the bag in order for the finished paper bag to stand up. Paper bag handles are made separately and affixed with glue.
You might think you already know the answer to this question, paper bags are made of paper, right?
Well, technically yes but depending on the style, design and use of the bag, there are various different types of paper that can be used. Standard brown paper bags are made using kraft paper which can come in any colour (creating coloured paper bags). You can also create paper bags using laminated kraft paper. This creates bags that have a plastic coating on the inside to prevent moisture from soaking through the paper, a particularly good idea for food packaging.
Paper bags made using kraft paper can be any colour, not just brown, and any weight. Typically brown paper bags will be made using 60gsm paper and can come in a wide variety of sizes. As we become more eco-conscious, paper bags can also be made using recycled kraft paper, usually using strong 110gsm kraft paper, for an environmentally-friendly packaging solution. Nowadays paper bags tend to be created using a combination of raw and recycled paper.
The great thing about paper bags is that disposing of them is quick, easy and most-importantly, environmentally friendly.
There are three key ways to dispose of paper bags:
As they are made of paper, paper bags can be recycled so that the paper can be used again, usually in the form of another paper bag.
In order to recycle a standard paper bag, the paper will be shredded, boiled and turned back into paper pulp. This will then be rolled out into new sheets of paper and the manufacturing process begins again. If you want to dispose of your paper bags yourself then one of the main ways you can do so is via composting. Once you’ve set up your compost bin with garden waste and compostable waste (e.g. kitchen scraps) you can begin adding materials such as paper. And of course, you don’t always have to dispose of paper bags right away. Providing they haven’t ripped or been damaged, you can reuse paper bags multiple times before recycling or composting them.
If you opt to reuse your paper bags then you don’t just have to reuse them in their original form. Whilst you can continue to use them as a packaging source until they are no longer usable, you can also use the paper for protecting delicate packages and lining household items such as pet trays.
Generally speaking, paper bags are biodegradable, hence why they’re a great choice for composting as mentioned above.
Thanks to how the paper pulp used to create paper bags is made, from wood chips, the final kraft paper is just cellulose fibres that can be easily decomposed through bacteria when added to compost bins.
In order for a paper bag to be fully biodegradable it needs to be free from ink, plastic coatings and other toxins and contaminators.
Paper bags have long been heralded as the eco-friendly packaging option and for good reason.
The fact that paper bags themselves can be recycled is a big tick for the environment. Whilst the production of paper bags does require trees to be cut down, nowadays most paper bags are manufactured using a mix of recycled and raw materials, resulting in much less impact to our forests. The use of recycled paper in the creation of paper bags also requires less energy, helping to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases the manufacturing plants are emitting.
Paper bags can also be reused multiple times before being recycled, helping to further boost their eco credentials. Of course nothing is ever perfect and there are certain parts of the paper bag manufacturing process that are harmful to the environment. Using a paper bag however is much more environmentally friendly than a plastic alternative…
Paper bags can be used for many different purposes including carrying groceries or items you’ve bought when shopping, carrying your packed lunch or even for giving gifts. Not only do they have many uses but in recent years many people have actively decided to use paper bags over plastic alternatives.
We know that paper bags are considerably more environmentally friendly than plastic ones, but exactly why should you use paper bags over plastic?
After hearing how paper bags are made and how good they are for the environment, we wouldn’t be surprised if you want to buy some of your own.
As we all look to take steps to becoming more sustainable and eco-conscious, it's no surprise that more and more people are looking for paper bags. Well luckily for you, paper bags are readily available for purchase, including right here from Bestpac. At Bestpac we produce the highest-quality paper bags and sleeves for bakery and patisserie use.
Biodegradable, sustainable and recyclable, you can be assured that our paper bags use only the highest quality materials and manufacturing processes. For more information on our paper bags and finding the right paper packaging solution for you, our experts are always on hand to help. You can contact them here.
The big brown paper bag has a long, interesting history.
Brown paper bags have become a fixture in our daily lives: we use them to carry groceries home, tote our department store purchases, and pack our kids’ lunches. Retailers use them as a blank canvas for their branded product packaging. Creative trick-or-treaters even wear them as masks for Halloween. It’s easy to forget that someone, long ago, had to invent them!
As with the best inventions, the paper bag filled a need people didn’t know they had. Before the paper bag, baskets, bowls, and other containers were the main storage solution in every home and store. You can imagine, then, that the creation of a convenient, disposable container was revolutionary. Business owners could stock stacks of these bags at their stores, and their low cost and ease of use made them widely accessible for shoppers of even modest means.
So, just how did this seemingly ordinary invention earn its place in the hearts (and hands) of the everyday consumer? A glimpse back at the history and evolution of the paper bag offers a clue.
For centuries, sacks made of jute, canvas, and burlap were the primary method of holding and moving goods throughout the British Empire. The main benefit of these materials was their sturdy, durable nature, but their production proved both time-consuming and expensive. Paper, on the other hand, could be produced at a much lower cost, and soon became the preeminent material for portable bags along trade routes.
Since its introduction in the 1800s, the paper bag has undergone numerous upgrades thanks to a few clever innovators. In 1852, Francis Wolle invented the first machine to mass-produce paper bags. While Wolle’s paper bag looked more like a large mailing envelope than the grocery store mainstay we know today (and thus could only be used to tote small objects and documents), his machine was the catalyst for the mainstream use of paper packaging.
The next important step forward in the design of the paper bag came from Margaret Knight, a prolific inventor then working for the Columbia Paper Bag Company. There, she realized that square-bottomed bags, rather than Wolle’s envelope design, would be more practical and efficient to use. She created her paper-bag making machine in an industrial shop, paving the way for the widespread commercial use of paper bags. Her machine proved so profitable that she would go on to found her own company, the Eastern Paper Bag Company. When you bring food home from the supermarket or purchase a new outfit from the department store, you’re enjoying the fruits of Knight’s labor.
These square-bottomed bags were still missing a classic component of the paper bag that we know and love today: pleated sides. We can thank Charles Stillwell for this addition, which made the bags foldable and thus easier to store. A mechanical engineer by trade, Stillwell’s design is commonly known as the S.O.S. bag, or “self-opening sacks.”
But wait — there’s more! In 1918, two St. Paul grocers by the names of Lydia and Walter Deubener came up with an idea for yet another improvement to the original design. By punching holes into the sides of paper bags and attaching a string that doubled as a handle and bottom reinforcement, the Deubeners found that customers could carry almost 20 pounds of food in each bag. At a time when cash-and-carry groceries were replacing home delivery, this proved a crucial innovation.
So just what materials is a paper bag actually composed of? The most popular material for paper bags is Kraft paper, which is manufactured from wood chips. Originally conceived by a German chemist by the name of Carl F. Dahl in 1879, the process for manufacturing Kraft paper is as follows: the wood chips are exposed to intense heat, which breaks them down into solid pulp and byproducts. Then the pulp is screened, washed, and bleached, taking its final form as the brown paper we all recognize. This pulping process makes Kraft paper particularly strong (hence its name, which is German for “strength”), and thus ideal for carrying heavy loads.
Of course, there’s more to picking the perfect paper bag than just the material. Particularly if you need to carry bulky or heavy items, there are a few other qualities to consider when selecting the product that will best serve your needs:
Paper Basis Weight
Also known as grammage, the paper basis weight is a measure of how dense paper is, in pounds, related to reams of 500. The higher the number, the denser and heavier the paper.
Gusset
A gusset is a strengthened area where material has been added to reinforce the bag. Gusseted paper bags can accommodate heavier items and are less likely to break.
Twist Handle
Made by twisting natural Kraft paper into cords and then gluing those cords to the insides of the paper bag, twist handles are typically used with gussets to increase the weight a bag can carry.
Square-Bottomed vs. Envelope-Style
While Wolle’s envelope-style bag was later improved upon, it’s still very useful for certain businesses and widely used in our postal system. If you’re looking to accommodate larger items, Knight’s square-bottomed paper bag may be a better fit for your needs.
The design of the paper bag has come a long way since Francis Wolle, continuing to evolve to meet consumer demands for a more streamlined, easy-to-use product. Here’s a taste of the wide selection of paper bags that are available for business or personal use:
S.O.S. Bags
Designed by Stillwell, S.O.S. bags stand on their own while items are loaded into them. These bags are school lunch favorites, known for their iconic Kraft brown tint, though they can be dyed a variety of colors.
Pinch-Bottom Design Bags
With open-mouth designs, pinch-bottom paper bags stay open just as S.O.S. bags do, but their base features a pointed seal similar to an envelope. These bags are widely used for baked goods and other food products.
Merchandise Bags
Merchandise bags are usually pinch-bottom paper bags and can be used to hold everything from craft supplies to baked goods and candy. Merchandise bags are available in natural Kraft, bleached white, and a variety of colors.
Euro Tote
For added sophistication, the Euro Tote (or its cousin, the wine bag) comes decked out with printed patterns, embellished glitter, corded handles, and lined interiors. This bag is popular for gift-giving and special packaging at retail outlets and can be outfitted with your brand’s logo through a custom printing process.
Bakery Bags
Similar to pinch-bottom bags, bakery bags are ideal for food products. Their design preserves the texture and taste of baked goods, such as cookies and pretzels, for longer.
Party Bag
Celebrate a birthday or special occasion with an attractive, fun party bag filled with candy, mementos, or small toys.
Mailing Bags
Francis Wolle’s original envelope-style bag is still used today to protect mailed documents or other small items.
Recycled Bags
For the environmentally minded, the Kraft bag is an obvious choice. These bags are generally composed of anywhere from 40% to 100% recycled materials.
Throughout its history, the paper bag has passed from one innovator to another, improved again and again to make it easier to use and cheaper to produce. For a few savvy retailers, however, the paper bag represented more than just a convenience for customers: it has also become a highly visible (and highly lucrative) marketing asset.
Bloomingdale’s, for example, breathed new life into the classic with its take, known simply as the “Big Brown Bag.” Marvin S. Traub’s twist on the Kraft bag was simple, attractive, and iconic, and its creation transformed the department store into the behemoth it is today. Meanwhile, Apple opted for a sleek, white version embossed with the company’s iconic logo (so groundbreaking was the design, they ventured, that it deserved its own patent).
Even as plastic floods the market, paper bags have stayed the course and proven their value as a dependable, cost-effective, and customizable solution for small businesses and behemoths alike. Feeling inspired? Create your own customized paper bags with Paper Mart today!