Carrier bags packaging guide
Plastic used in carrier bags
| LDPE | Low density polyethylene is recognisable by the soft feel of the polythene and its stretchiness. LDPE is excellent for carrier bags because of its stretch and resistance to puncturing and tearing. |
| HDPE | High density polyethylene has a more crinkly, paper-like feel than LDPE. HDPE is immensely strong but tends to give way without warning. |
| LDPE/HDPE | LDPE/HDPE is referred to as frosted film. It is a mixture of HDPE and LDPE. The stretchiness of LDPE and the texture and toughness of HDPE. The frosted semi translucent look is the natural colour of the material without any additional pigment added. |
| Natural polythene | A mineral oil based polythene made with no additives and is recyclable and combustible with no toxicity. |
| Degradable polythene | A mineral oil based polythene has an additive to accelerate fragmentation and degradation over a specified period. |
Types of carrier bags
| Paper carrier bags | Paper carrier bags are low cost, made from strong kraft paper and available in brown/white paper. These carrier bags come with a stylish twisted paper cord handle which makes it easy to carry without cutting into your hand. Brown paper bags are cheap, recyclable and degradable. |
| Patch handle carrier bags | The classic shopping bag for high street stores. Patch handle carriers are made from thicker polythene and have a reinforced patch handle. They are available in white or clear polythene. |
| Vest carrier bags | Vest carrier are commonly used carrier bags. They are popular with supermarkets, grocery stores and market traders. Vest carriers are made from high density polythene which has acrinkly feel. |
Paper used in paper carrier bags
| Kraft paper | A high quality paper in terms of strength. Made from paper pulp that has long individual fibres which give a resistance to tearing. |
| Art card | A highly processed pulp which has shorter fibres than kraft. The paper has more bulk to compensate and is more economical than kraft. |
| Coated paper | Papers have a coating on the surface to make them smoother. |
Carrier bags packaging guide last updated: May-2023
