APL Express Buyers Guides to carrier bags – an icon for sales!
The Buyers Guides for serious bagaholics - lots here for bag buffs and enquiring minds.
This is not a sales page - to buy carrier bags go straight to our homepage Carrier Bag Selector and get choosing.
If you're still with us: we say a carrier bag represents all the fun of a good shopping spree, or the sense of occasion of a well-organised event. Some bags seem to have their own personality and are collectable. Brilliant advertising, and they can help us feel better about life. This Guide will help you match your ideas to how APL Express can fulfil them for you.
Main types of bag:
- Paper bags - luxury rope handle paper carrier bags
- Paper bags - twist handle paper carrier bags
- Paper bags - counter bags
- Jute carrier bags
- Cotton carrier bags
- Plastic carrier bags
- Environment-friendly choices: Paper "bag-miles"
Other info:
Tissue paper
Bags for events and promotions
Build your brand image
Control costs
Understand bag sizes
Or skip all this and use the APL Bag Selector on our homepage
Or call us on 01903 202 333 for friendly expert help.
We hope you find this information interesting and useful. Your feedback would be appreciated on anything that you think could be added, or that is confusing, or that you disagree with, or that you think is just plain wrong and needs putting right! For more information, telephone us on 01903 202 333, or email service@aplexpress.co.uk
© Copyright 2010 APL Express Ltd. You must
if you want to reproduce this APL Express Glossary in whole or in part.
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Luxury rope handle paper carrier bags
If you’re in sales, you will be concerned to make branding, style and lifestyle statements - and to give good customer care. The luxury rope handle carrier bag can deliver on all these counts:
- They are made from heavy quality paper card with a rope or ribbon handle. When laminated (gloss or matt) they are tough and tear-resistant. So they are likely to be re-usable many, many, times. They're popular with staff and customers because they're easy to fill and use - they stand upright, and they're convenient. If they are a sensible size, your customers will re-use them.
- And if they’re printed, they make a great surface for repeated advertising, in the street, or at the exhibition, etc, where the advert really counts.
Let’s take the case of a fashion retailer. You may be thinking of the following points:
What are you selling?
What are you selling? Lingerie, separates or outerwear? The bag has to suit the merchandise, but it’s worth bearing in mind that it's the mid size luxury bags that people tend to keep the most for re-use. So if you are selling separates, it's worth considering a
, and wrap using some acid free
. The 42cm is one of the more keepable sizes. This size would also take more lightweight outerwear.
Two points to watch:
Has it got a shoulder length handle? Often, a shoulder length handle makes a bag more versatile and improves that important "keep me" factor.
Can you be sure it won't snag the merchandise? The card inside should be soft on clothing, and the handle fixing simply a knotted rope that won't snag. There are just a few bags out there that use a metal or plastic clip to keep the rope in place. It's best to check and avoid these; they can snag clothing, and in our opinion they detract from the class act and desirability of a good rope handled bag. Incidentally, classy matching or contrasting coloured tissue adds that little extra "thank you" and level of care which customers will appreciate and remember.
isn’t at all expensive.
Save space, save costs
Cut down on the number of bag sizes you stock if you can: you don't need us to say that in most shops storage space is at a premium. You will also get a better deal if you can buy more of fewer sizes. A 16cm
is really cute - and well made- and if you are in to fashion jewellery, gifts, lingerie etc, then a small bag will be needed and people will love them. Add a 32 - 42cm "keep me" size bag, and you may well get away with these two sizes. If you are selling bulky items, then you may need an additional 48cm size with a generous base dimension and height for lots of volume.
You may want to buy matching or contrasting coloured tissue paper! It's not expensive, and adds that little extra "thank you" and level of care which customers will appreciate and remember.
Paper types used in luxury carrier bags
Kraft paper
This is often a high quality paper in terms of strength, because is it made from paper pulp that has long individual fibres which give a resistance to tearing. So if you are considering a carrier bag that is not laminated, then kraft is a good option.
Art card
Most of the luxury rope handled carrier bags out there are made from art card. It is made from a highly processed pulp which has shorter fibres than kraft, but the paper has more bulk to compensate, and is more economical than kraft. It’s a good choice for laminated bags where the laminate provides additional tear resistance and the art card provides good stiffening because of its bulk and thickness.
Coated paper
Papers can have a coating on the surface to make them smoother. This is essential if a bag is to be laminated, to obtain a good adhesion between the laminate and paper without voids that pearlise. Paper can be coated on one side or two. Kraft is usually not coated and has a more natural finish than coated art.
Finish
The main options are matt or gloss laminate.
In both cases laminate greatly increases the strength of a carrier bag as well as making it waterproof. If your choice is to have a non laminated bag for a natural texture and look, it would be a good idea to consider kraft paper.
Paper weight
The weight of paper or card is usually stated in gsm – grammes per square metre, i.e. the weight in grammes of a square metre of paper. Remember that gsm. is a measurement of weight, not strength. So a 130gsm kraft paper with its long fibre content could well have more tear resistance than a 157gsm art. That's why our non-laminated bags are made from kraft! But our laminated bags, where the laminate provides tear resistance, are made from art, because the extra bulk makes the bag stiffer, economically.
Bag Assembly
Top fold:
A luxury rope handle carrier bag will have a fold at the top, with the card turned in about 50mm on a typical mid size bag. This improves the appearance and feel, and, importantly, hides a reinforcer card inside the fold. The reinforcer should extend the width of the bag, and be glued in to the inside fold, making a lamination between the card and bag which makes a considerable difference to the stiffness and quality of the bag.
Eyelets:
Metal eyelets can be fitted to the rope holes on the bag. APL do not fit metal eyelets- they hinder paper recycling, and are not necessary if the fold top is properly reinforced.
Base Card:
A base card is the rectangular card fitted in the base of the bag. It should be glued in. APL always fit a white base card.
Folding and Glue:
Make sure your bag is folded and glued properly! We have seen bags that allow small items to fall through because the base card is not properly glued in and the base fold has been skimped. There is a correct way to fold the base to avoid this, and at APL we check on that.
Choice of rope handles
Most luxury carrier bags have rope handles, and they can be in a variety of materials: a vast range of ribbon types (satin, cotton bias tape, gros grain, etc.), or they can be leather, twisted paper, wire, or just about anything that people are happy to hold. However, the ones we stock are rope!
The basics of a rope handle are:
Length
Do your customers want hand or shoulder length? And how generous is the manufacturer with the length? (Rope is expensive).
Diameter
How wide is the rope? 5mm diameter is reasonable.
Core
Good quality rope will have a core running through the centre to stop it flattening out.
Weave
There are just about as many weaves of rope as there are factories making them. Whilst weaves vary, as long as the length, diameter and core are OK, you unlikely to be embarrassed by differences in weave. Material
Most of the descriptions out there will be either Cotton, PP (oil-based polypropylene) or PE (oil-based polyester):
Cotton has the expected matt finish, and in our opinion, looks better on matt finish bags, that is, kraft bags with no laminate, or matt laminated bags.
Polypropylene (PP) has a semi gloss, lustrous finish and definitely looks like a man-made material. In our opinion PP suits gloss laminated luxury handmade bags.
Polyester (PE) has a matt finish and is a good substitute for cotton.
The packaging trade has a tendency to describe any matt finish rope as "cotton", but it may well be an oil-based polyester that happens to have an attractive texture and matt finish.
Is the handle real cotton?
Here’s a simple way to find out if a rope is PP/PE or genuine cotton:
1. Check you’re over 18 years of age.
2. Remove the rope from the bag, and place it over a non-combustible surface in a well-ventilated area.
3. Have a pan of water and a fire extinguisher to hand.
4. With no other combustible materials in the immediate area, apply a match or lighter to one end of the rope.
5. If the rope melts and burns, it’s a polypropylene or polyester. If it singes, it’s real cotton.
6. Place the rope in the pan of water to extinguish it.
7. Don't do this experiment if you cannot follow these simple notes!
Twist handle paper carrier bags
These are very clever paper bags! Paper carrier bags with comfortable handles made of strong, twisted paper are:
Economical, because they are machine made.
Environmentally friendly, because they are made from a single material – paper, which is widely collected for recycling, is compostable, and biodegradable.
Convenient, because they stand up, so are easy to fill and use.
Cool, crisp, and contemporary, with their stand up handle.
Classless, a bit like the original Mini. We sell them to upmarket jewellers, they go in to student freshers meetings, Fortnum and Mason use them, they are used in open markets, and they take everything from food to funky stuff.
Available in colours galore: APL offer white, natural brown, and a fab range of colours, both light colours and warm colours.
Are we keen on these bags? You bet! Why don't we sell more of them? We do! We sell truckloads of them, they are so popular!
What precisely are ‘twist handle carrier bags’?
All APL's twist bags are made in Europe from European paper made from renewable resources. The paper is a top quality ribbed glazed white kraft:
Kraft is a type of paper which is very strong: puncture and tear resistant
Ribbed means there is an attractive light vertical watermark in the paper.
Glazed means they have a slight sheen.
Fast delivery
Unprinted carrier bags are delivered to you on the next working day.
Printed carrier bags will be overprinted and delivered to you in 7-10 days:
You can order online (or by phone), and then email your design/artwork to artwork@aplexpress.co.uk
We email you a PDF proof.
When we have your OK of the proof, we print and deliver.
It's pretty simple, and works well!
How are they made?
Twist bags are made entirely automatically, so they can be made competitively in Europe. That saves sea transport miles and reduces CO2 emissions. All APL's are made in Europe from European paper made from renewable resources.
The handle is made from two ribbons of paper: the first ribbon is twisted to make a core, and the second ribbon is twisted around the first. The result is a paper "rope" which has surprising, extraordinary strength. The rope is cut, and each end is resin glued between two kraft paper rectangles. The rectangles are then glued inside the bag. It's neat, strong, hidden, stays put, and is entirely biodegradable or recyclable when the time comes.
The bag part starts its life as a reel of kraft paper. The kraft is machine fed off the reel, folded into a tube and the seam glued. By some amazing engineering the base is cut, folded and glued, all by machine. It takes a long time to set up, and manufacturers try to keep the same size running on each machine. It's not really part of a "buyers guide", but we hope to launch some videos of the machinery in action - for the one person out there who is still interested in conventional mechanical engineering!
"SOS" ?
SOS? Twist bags, like ours but without the handle, used to be called "SOS" bags. Not many people know that! Even fewer know that "SOS" in bagspeak stands for "Self Opening Satchel". And, as we all know, a satchel is a type of bag with a side gusset, like the old fashioned school satchels. The reference to "self opening" may be down to the fact that they do open easily, possible automatically on a production line, and they stay put ready for filling.
Paper bags (counter bags)
Many retailers are changing back to paper bags (often called counter bags) from plastic, because paper bags are easily and totally recyclable, or they can go into the compost heap.
They come in all types of paper, shapes, sizes, colours and designs to suit different uses. They do their jobs well.
APL Express stock a wide range of and you are sure to find what you need:
Sulphite white low-cost counter bags for food, gifts and stationery
Sulphite white paper bags are ideal low-cost counter bags for gift shops, sandwich shops, bakers, etc using large quantities. The paper is food-safe, and generally of 33 gsm. They are strung in 100’s for convenience and come in packs of 1,000 or 500.
Sulphite paper is mechanically pulped from low grade wood chip, which may include bark and other impurities. Sulphite paper bags can be a little grey compared with kraft, although APL make every effort to source sulphite that is as white as possible.
Like newsprint, sulphite can turn yellow in sunlight because of the remaining lignin content in the relatively unrefined paper. But sulphite will always be popular because:
- It's very economical.
- It’s food-safe.
- It's 100% recyclable - and actually achieves high levels of recycling because of widespread local authority kerbside collections.
Brown kraft - cheap, low cost counter bags for fresh fruit and low cost items
A low-cost natural, unbleached paper, generally of 37 gsm. Like sulphite, brown kraft is a low cost food-use paper mechanically pulped from low grade wood chip, and like sulphite, is 100% recyclable, achieving high levels of recycling. They are strung in 100’s for convenience, and come in packs of 1,000 or 500 depending on size.
White kraft paper counter bags:
These are paper bags with a pre-printed choice of cheerful designs -
Stripes in pink or blue - a fun, general-purpose bag
Starbursts in red & blue, or red & green - colourful general-purpose
Diamonds in gold - popular for jewellery and gift items
These are all stock designs printed on machine glazed paper (“MG”, which gives it a sheen), a bleached white kraft paper. It’s a much higher grade paper than sulphite, made from a more refined pulp. It is mechanically stronger too, which makes it resistant to tearing and puncture, because the paper has longer wood fibres in its content. They are strung in 100’s for convenience and come in packs of 1,000 or 500.
Quality kraft paper bags in quality colours - strong and more up-market
For quality merchandise such as books and higher-value gifts, APL Express offer five attractive colours – natural, black, red, green and blue. They are made of 60gsm paper, quite hefty for this size of bag. Like the MG bleached white kraft, this a better quality paper, mechanically stronger (with more tear and puncture resistance) than the entry level brown kraft. There is no bleaching in the production process. No strings - they are too good to be strung up!
How to choose sizes
Counter bags are still popularly measured in inches, so we sell in inches, and show the centimetre equivalent.
The opening width is first, then the height:
7 x 9inches is 7 inches wide (opening width) and 9 inches high.
Some counter bags have a side gusset to increase capacity for items such as books, gift boxes, French sticks and baguettes, etc.
This measurement is shown as: wide x wide+one-gusset-width x high:
A French stick bag 4 x 6 x 26 is 4” wide, with 2” side gusset, 26” high.
An APL quality kraft bag 8 x 11.5 x 12 is 8” wide, 3.5” side gusset, 12” high.
If you think this is a strange way to measure the gusset...so do we. At least we are consistent, unlike some people.
How do I keep my paper bags healthy?
This can be tricky. We suggest you ask a vet, because vets train for 7 years and we only trained for about a year or three ("or 25 in my case" says APL's boss).
Cotton carrier bags
Bless them, or "cotton shoppers" as they're sometimes called, are made from a natural product. Cotton is the protective material surrounding the cotton seed pod. There is, however, a big further input of materials, labour and energy required to take the product from the picked material to a finished cotton carrier bag. Then, like any carrier bag in any material, they make sense environmentally speaking IF they are re-used many times and IF they are then properly re-cycled.
What are the basics I need to know as a buyer?
Source
In order of tonnes grown annually, the five main producers are China, India, USA, Africa, and Eastern Europe. At APL Express we purchase our cotton bags from India. For ethical sourcing of cotton – production, processing, weaving and sewing – and for organic cotton, please phone us for more details.
Cotton weight
Cotton is specified by weight, not thickness; the unit of measurement is usually ounces (oz) per sq yard of cotton:
4 oz is a lightweight, pocketable cotton bag that might fit into a pouch.
5 oz is more common (that’s what APL use).
10oz-14oz is heavyweight, often known as canvas. In the USA, canvas can be known as cotton duck.
You may come across a different weighting system known as grading, with grade 10 the lightest, and grade 1 the heaviest.
Weave
Most cotton bags are a plain weave, with horizontal and vertical warp and weft. Look out for the closeness of the weave, which can vary.
Colour
Can be natural cotton colour with varying degrees of flecking, or the cotton can be dyed any colour at yarn stage before weaving.
Size: APL give the opening width – the horizontal measurement – first, followed by the base dimension if there is one, then the height, excluding the handle. So an APL cotton bag 38 x 10 x 42 cm is 38cm wide, has a 10 cm base and sides, and is 42cm high excluding the handle.
Handles
Handles can be hand length or shoulder length...or anything in between! We don’t wish to appear sexist about carrier bags, or to make sweeping statements, but we have noticed that generally ladies like shoulder length, and men go for hand length. Maybe the guys are used to carrying briefcases, or their dads did and have passed it on in their genes. As for the ladies, we dunno. Anyway, 65cm is a reasonable length for a shoulder handle.
Overprinting
We can overprint all our cotton shoppers for you. We do digital, silk screen, or die transfer printing according to what’s best for each material, the quantity and your design. We deliver to you in 7-10 days:
You can order online (or phone), and email your design when you order to artwork@aplexpress.co.uk
We email you a PDF proof.
When we have your OK of the proof, we print and deliver.
Overprinting is simple, and works well!
Jute carrier bags
What is jute?
Lovely stuff for bags - a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. For the botanically minded, it is mainly from two varieties of the genus Corchorus - Corchorus olitorius and Corchorus capsularis, family Tiliaceae.
It's one of the cheapest natural fibres available and is second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses. Jute fibres are composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose (major component of plant fibre) and lignin (major components of wood fibre). It is thus a fibre that is partly a textile and partly wood (ligno-cellulosic). It falls into the 'bast' fibre category (fibre collected from the bast or skin of the plant) along with kenaf, industrial hemp, and flax (linen). The fibres are off-white to brown, and 1–4 meters (3–12 feet) long.
Jute fibre is often called hessian; jute fabrics are also called hessian cloth. Jute sacks are called gunny bags in some European countries. In North America fabric made from jute is popularly known as burlap.
Growing and harvesting jute
Jute grows to typically 3 to 4.5 metres (10 to 15 feet) high, and is a rain-fed crop with little need for fertiliser or pesticides. A substantial industry, employing millions of people, has developed around its production, mainly in China, Bangladesh and India. It is a natural fibre composed of cellulose (the main building material of all plants) and is totally biodegradable.This fibre grows the entire length of the jute plant stalk from root to top, and comes from the stem and ribbon (outer skin) of the plant.
Harvested from July to October when the plant is in flower, or when the seed pods are just forming, the long reed-like stalks are hand cut and left to dry naturally before the leaves are removed. To extract the fibres, the surrounding bark and pith have to decompose. This is achieved by bundling stems together and immersing them in water for a few weeks for softening, in ponds or slow moving streams, to induce a fermentation process known as 'retting'. Then the stem and ribbon can be stripped for processing into weavable fibres.
Specifying size and weight
See our bag sizes guide. Weightwise, APL Express source jute from various Indian manufacturers, and there's an ongoing need to obtain more precision on how the weave is specified - ounces per square inch, threads per inch? - and the backing sheet material and micron thickness.
Colour
Although jute is already an attractive natural golden brown colour, it can be dyed to order, but the usual Pantone (PMS) or Coates systems are not well known. We can overprint beautifully in up to four colours on both sides.
Jute carrier bags are "
"
Typical jute bags have a decent size base and sides, and will take the results of a reasonable outing to the shops (supermarket apart), or in business use, a full lever arch file. Look for a style like APL's that has handles with a soft, round feel that precisely matches the bag colour (unlike some others that we have seen on offer). It's so strong that a “Bag for Life” will probably want to join you in the Hereafter. We recommend them.
This is not the place for a sales pitch, for that go to our cotton and jute ordering section, but it's worth saying that our 36cm(14 ins)-wide bag starts at only £18.00 for 10, or £45.00 for 40, delivered next working day. Or we can overprint them very attractively in 7-10 days from £148.87. All + VAT, and delivery is free for orders over £30.
Short handles or long?
Short handles are easier for customers who are forever wanting to put their bag down and pick it up again.
Long "hands free" handles mean you can fill the bag without removing it from your shoulder, so it’s ideal if you're buying for a conference, event or exhibitions too, when customers want to keep their hands free. Our model with handles a full 70 cm long will go over any sort of winter wear. And we have a style with cotton woven braid handles that will stay in place and not slip off the shoulder.
A gentle, strong physique and sense of duty are part of this bag’s natural good nature! It's just busting to serve you. We have also been asked to point out that it will go over your left or your right shoulder...
The “bag for life” is so strong it will become part of the family. Just in case you haven’t got the message, we are very keen on this bag.
Main sources:
http://www.worldjute.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jute
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Plastic carrier bags: bag-miles, re-use and re-cycling
Plastic is the material we all love to hate. But we love to use it, because it's cheap and convenient. However, environmentally, polythene bags need NOT be the bad guys that some make out – IF they are re-used, then re-cycled (that applies to paper bags too of course, and to jute and cotton). Plastic, though, has other advantages environmentally speaking that don't apply to paper:
First, relatively little energy is used in its production. That means lower CO2 emissions. Plastic can compare favourably with paper – and even with cotton and jute, both of which usually start with fertilisers on the fields and go through several high-CO2 production phases.
Second, many carrier bag factories make the polythene sheet in the same plant where the bag is made and printed. There are likely to be less bag-miles involved in making plastic bags than with many paper bags whose pulp is made in one place, the paper in another, and the finished bag somewhere else again. Sometimes in different continents.
Third, plastic bags can and often do have a high repeat usage. They can often be used for longer before the bottom drops out or a handle falls off.
Fourth, they can be re-cycled more easily, with less CO2 emissions, than many paper bags that have been made robust enough for repeat uses.
Fifthly, most plastic bags are not made of mixed materials (think of the plastic lining inside jute bags), so they are easier to re-cycle.
It seems slightly bizarre to us that politicians suggest they be singled out to be taxed for environmental reasons. Especially when, so far, there's far more one-trip plastic packaging around that hasn't been tackled yet.
So ecologically speaking they can be a very responsible choice, and the right plastic bags are good value. We can find few reasons why our customers should have a conscience about buying our plastic products - provided you (and we) encourage your customers to re-use them, then re-cycle them. APL Express offer great choices of .
Types of plastic for carrier bags
There are various choices of plastic material:
APL Express supply : re-cyclable, degradable, and already recycled plastic, made in three different types of plastic:
LDPE: This means "low density polyethylene". It's 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. The majority of our APL plastic carrier bags are LDPE, for example our most popular, the 38cm.
HDPE: You guessed! It stands for "high density polyethylene". It has a more crinkly, paper-like feel than LDPE. It's immensely strong, but tends to give way without warning (not good), so whilst it's OK for small bags, for carrier bags it's usually layered (laminated) with LDPE, or mixed with LDPE, like our APL frosted carrier bags. See more info in our
.
LDPE/HDPE "frosted". This popular plastic material is a mixture of HDPE and LDPE, and the so you get the best of both worlds: 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. Handy!
P.P. Polypropylene, even if you can't get to say it easily, all you need to know is that it’s used for very high clarity plastic bags. It's made in various forms such as the ones used for protecting greetings cards, or in a modified form, for salads in supermarkets. It's a substitute for cellulose ("Cellophane") which is a natural product from plant material.
Natural Polythene
This is mineral oil based polythene, made with no additives, and is recyclable, and combustible with no toxicity. All APL's stock LDPE polythene carrier bags are made from this recyclable material.
Degradable Polythene
This mineral oil based polythene has an additive to accelerate fragmentation and degradation over a specified period. So it doesn’t hang around in trees for ages but this does NOT make it bio-degradable. In fact its residues hang around for a very long time, perhaps forever. Bio-degradable is different and ecologically more responsible than degradable, but re-cycling of a bag that’s neither degradable nor biodegradable may be even better. Confused? See our
of packaging terms. Or if you are really confused, call us on 01903 2020 333! All APL's printed LDPE carrier bags are made from degradable polythene, for example, see our 38cm White
100% Recycled Polythene
A favourite with us at APL, we offer a 38cm LDPE carrier bag made from 100% post-consumer waste reclaim. It's made from UK consumer reclaim, so has no air miles, and no sea miles either (or not many, if our customers on the Isle of Wight and Scottish Islands will forgive us)! Unlike a lot of so-called eco bags out there. So if you want to do your bit for the environment, the 38cm 100% recycled bag is your opportunity!
Polythene colour
Coloured polythene bags have the colour put in them when the polythene sheet is made. So the polythene colour cannot rub off, and will never mark clothes. At the moment, APL Express offer 17 different polythene colours – use our Bag Selector on our homepage.
Handles for plastic carrier bags
Now for the boring bits (you weren't bored before?) Plastic carrier bags can have various types of handle:
Vest style
Like the lightweight supermarket bags that everyone now loves to hate. APL won't sell these, as we think there is indeed a case for re-usable bags in supermarkets. (But remember, re-usable bags need to be used many, many times to get a CO2 emissions payback over lightweight supermarket-style bags). But if you’re in supermarkets, food retailing or garden centres you’ll love our
bags.
Varigauge reinforced
Most of APL's polythene carrier bags are "varigauge" reinforced. It sounds scary, but it simply means that a strip along the top of the bag is double thickness, and the handle is punched through it. As long as the centre is removed (ours are) it's a very neat solution, and immensely strong... which is why we selected
for our website offer.
Patch reinforced
A rectangular patch is glued or welded on the inside of the bag, and the handle is punched through the polythene and patch, so the handle area becomes double thickness. It is very strong and effective. Patch reinforcement is more economical than varigauge, as the top is only using extra material in the immediate handle area. We use patch for our super economical range – an example is our
.
Punched out handle
No reinforcement, the handle is simply punched through the polythene. This is fine for smaller carrier bags, but we won't sell 38cm (15") wide bags without reinforcement, as they aren't strong enough and won't get re-used. Take care to check if you find cheap carrier bags. They may not be reinforced!
Plastic Epilogue:
Still with us? You probably feel there are no easy answers, and you're probably right. If you want to be an environmentally responsible carrier bag buyer, please do call 01903 202 333 or email us at service@aplexpress.co.uk for advice. We know lots about the pros and cons of our own range, and of the types we have decided NOT to stock, and we would be pleased to assist. And see our Environment page for more.
Paper carrier bags: how to avoid 'bag-miles', and encourage re-use and re-cycling
Paper grows on trees! But paper can be made from a huge range of organic materials, including cotton and reed plants. In the northern hemisphere, the most likely organic source is softwood, for example spruce from cropped, sustainable forest. In the southern hemisphere, an important paper pulp crop is eucalyptus.
Public perception of paper is that it's an environmentally friendly natural product. But paper is big business, and highly international. So most people would be surprised at the distance it may have travelled during production, and the amount of processing involved, in the three stages from raw pulp to highly refined, finished end product.
Cropping and pulping can be in South America, for example, with the basic pulp then being shipped to anywhere in the world.
It is then re-pulped and further refined with the addition of clay fillers, whiteners and sizes into a pulp suitable for a particular end use at individual mills.
The finished paper is then shipped to a factory for completion into the end product.
Thus, if you compare paper with plastic for environmental impact, you may be surprised.
Reducing the environmental impact of packaging is important to us all. So we offer single-material bags (your choice) that can be efficiently re-used then re-cycled or composted (your customers’choice). APL's make eco-sense. They are made from paper produced in Finland from Finnish pulp. The finishing is done in Europe too. And they have genuine cotton handles. So they are 100% compostable or recyclable without separation.
Kraft paper is made from renewed forest and is certificated to:
PEFC - Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
PEFC - Chain of Custody
European Eco Label
ISO 14001 - Environment Standard (of production)
ISO 9001 - Quality Standard
EMAS
FDA - Food Certificate
Food Approval Statement
BfR Food Certificate
94/62 - EC Heavy Metal Certificate
For economy, our have a matt finish polyester rope. They are finished in either Europe or China from art card and again are responsibly produced.
So there are pros and cons for paper, plastic, jute and cotton. See our Environment page for more.
Tissue Wrapping Paper
Tissue paper is a thin, translucent paper used for decorating, wrapping and cushioning items- often used in the home for gift wrapping or protection, in shops for wrapping and colour presentation before placing in a bag, or in despatch for wrapping, protection, and presentation prior to boxing. Coloured tissue can allow creative presentation, particularly when different colours are layered. APL's range of
includes 15 colours, two metallics and three whites.
What are the basic types of wrapping tissue?
CAP tissue
An economy tissue, rather greyish, used for wrap and protection. Generally not acid free. CAP is OK for packing houseware items, chinaware, shoes, etc., but isn't recommended where a higher level of presentation is required, or appropriate for wrap of delicate items such as silverware, silks, or jewellery. CAP can also be found in dullish blue and magenta colours. We offer CAP tissue in two sizes. And what does "CAP" stand for? We haven't found anyone who knows, so please kindly tell us if you do.
MG tissue
"Machine Glazed" tissue is an entry-level mid-range tissue. We don't recommend or offer it.
MF tissue
MF ("Machine Finished") is a step up on the quality ladder. It's a better tissue in terms of finish and texture, and more likely to be specified as acid free. APL do stock it (and we pay more for it) and it IS specified acid free and bleed resistant, and is glazed and finished on both sides.
For the technically minded, the difference between MG and MF tissue is the amount of "calendering", ie glazing or polishing using heavy metal cylinders at the pulp to paper finishing stage. We have found these (admittedly confusing!) definitions:
Machine Glazed (MG): "Machine finished paper - paper made by machine, with no texturing or finishing applied after the paper is made, that has a high-gloss finish on only one side, is machine glazed".
Machine Finished (MF): "Smooth finish paper that gets its surface texture during the papermaking process by calendering using a heavy metal cylinder, rather than as a separate manufacturing operation, has a machine finish (MF). Machine finish papers may be coated by machine on one or two sides".
Source
Main sources are China, the USA, and Italy.
Colour
Can be added at the pulp beating stage before the tissue is made, or the finished sheet can be dyed by solid printing, and sometimes is dip dyed.
Texture
Something to look out for! It's got to feel right as well as look right. We have noticed that the Chinese papers tend to be "crisper" than the US production, and also sounds different, with a higher pitched crackle when folded.
Bulk
Does the tissue compact down to nothing, or does it have some substance? How much protection will it give if that is its role?
GSM
Grammes per square metre. If you take a square metre of the tissue, how much does it weigh? At APL Express, our tissue is mainly 17gsm.
Strength
Here we mean puncture and tear resistance. Tissue may be lightweight, but it should have some mechanical strength.
Odour free
Yes, check it out! - metallic inks in particular can have an odour, and an odour free ink has to be specified. APL tissues are odour free.
Cost
We have to achieve all this and still get to market at a reasonable cost, which is why at APL we import by the container load - after 26 years we should know what we are doing.
Stock colours
As as well as white, most suppliers stock a range of solid colours which can include metallics and stock pattern designs. Usually colours are pulp dyed or printed both sides, whilst metallics and patterns are printed on one side only.
Colour fastness, bleed resistance
This is a common industry claim for mid-range and premium tissues, and here at APL we also specify bleed resistant colours. A tissue which is not bleed resistant will flood its colour as soon as wet to the nearest absorbent surface. A bleed resistant tissue will have a much reduced tendency to flood its colour out but there is still a risk and it is unlikely that bleed will be eliminated entirely. We state "always check first" because we have yet to find ANY coloured tissue which passes our own test 100%.
Our test is to mount a swatch of the test tissue on to a sheet of white paper and immerse the tissue on its mount in water for 2 seconds, draw it out and let it dry against the mount. If there is no colour transfer to the white paper mount then we could say the tissue is 100% bleed resistant.
There are wide variations in the performance of different colours. There is surprisingly little difference in performance of the same colour from differerent manufacturers, covering value MF up to high cost premium tissues. Many colours, even from the most expensive USA beater-dyed colour tissues, fail this test. So if the tissue is to be used where it can be exposed to moisture (or fragrances) in the proximity of precious items such as fashion wear, and any level of bleed or risk of bleed is entirely unacceptable, then it is APL's recommendation to ONLY USE WHITE TISSUE.
Acid Free
This is another frequently occuring claim. Acid-free paper has a neutral ph and is less likely to damage goods if left in contact with them for extended periods. It is safe with silverware, interleaving in books, and long term storage of clothing.
Sheet size
There are about as many sheet sizes as manufacturers, but the base size is 20 inches x 30 inches, 50cm x 75cm, which is the size APL offer. Anything less than that, you should expect to pay a lot less for it!
Pack quantity
The industry standard is a ream, which is 480 sheets. Again, anything less than that, and you should expect to pay a lot less! Exceptions are metallic tissues and speciality tissues which are necessarily more expensive and supplied in smaller pack quantities
How is tissue wrapping paper made?
Essentially it's the same production process as other papers: paper pulp is collected on a steel mesh where the water is allowed to drain away. The tissue pulp is then pressed between felt and a drying cylinder. It is then partially glazed by metal cylinders (Machine Glazed, or MG) and in the case of Machine Finished papers (MF) is further machine glazed both sides. Dyes for solid colour can be added at the pulp stage, or as ink on the finished paper.
And finally, did you know...jazz musician Red Mackenzie was well known in his day for using tissue paper and a comb to make kazoo-like music. We just knew you would be interested.
Bags for events and promotions
Are you an exhibition organiser, outdoor event organiser, conference organiser, promotion director - or taking a stand at an exhibition or event? Take a moment to think about the size that will give you most mileage:
What’s the sales environment?
What’s going in the bag initially?
For an important launch at a private venue, it's likely that the bag has to be "just right" in terms of size, style, colour, and design, for whatever is going in it and to suit the occasion.
In a crowded exhibition or event, what size will stand out?
What will your visitors find useful, and keep?
Is yours the strongest one, the easiest to use?
A bag which shouts "keep me" in the frenzy of an exhibition is likely to have a shoulder length handle so that hands are left free for mobile phone, drinks, and greetings.
Is an environmentally-friendly bag important - then you may want a jute, cotton or paper bag
Literature, a press sample, merchandise, a prototype? What size bag does that indicate?
And think what size is big enough for other sizes to go in yours!
If you want the opposition's bag to disappear inside yours, then it’s likely yours will be 42cm wide – but not too deep, because people won't be able to find stuff in it. So 42cm wide, by about 32cm high, may work well for you as a keepable size.
Build your brand image
The essence of carrier bag choice is to project your own brand, and thus help the customer create their own lifestyle statement.
How much are the bags are a "thank you" to your customers for their custom?
How much are they essential protection for the goods?
If they are printed, how valuable is the advertising they’ll give?
What’s the repeat purchase and recommendation value of a good printed bag?
What colour and design should you be thinking of?
Try to use your bags to achieve the strongest possible visual link with all your other corporate identity. Make sure that when someone sees your carrier bags in the street, they will, without thinking, relate your carrier bag to your shop front, your merchandise, your values – and be reminded that you are there, what you sell, and what your business stands for. People are not going to be thoughtful about this, there are too many distractions, so the bag has to work very hard for you!
If yours is the bag that stands out in the street, and kids start collecting them, then you know you've done a good design job!
Make sure there is a strong colour link between your shop front and the bag, either by the colour of the bag, or if you can't get the right bag colour, then a bag with an ink colour that matches the shop colour. Use tissue in a complementary colour to reinforce the match - see our
.
We think you should concentrate on the “big picture” – bold areas of colour that match your corporate identity. (There are 100’s of colours in the
).
Control your costs
Don't get carried away and spend more money than you need - either on overall order cost, or the cost per bag.
Weigh up:
The cost of the bag relative to the value - or the Profit - going in the bag. Work it out, and if you are OK with that, then your purchase is a good business decision.
For seasonal Sales, and situations where you just don't want to use a luxury bag, then paper twist handle bags or , or , are important to have around, and will save you money.
Lastly, if you’re a retailer, cut down on the number of bag sizes you stock if you can, especially if storage space is at a premium. You’ll get a better deal with APL’s quantity discounts if you can buy more of fewer sizes. For example, small luxury rope bags like our 16cm size are really cute – and well made – and if you are in to gifts, fashion jewellery, luxury confectionary etc, then a small bag will be needed and people will love them. Add a 32 - 42cm "keep me" size bag, and you may well get away with these two sizes. If you are selling bulky items, then you may need an additional 48cm size with a generous base dimension and height for lots of volume.
Understand carrier bag sizes
What does 38 x 10 x 42 mean? Not a lot, if you're a first-time carrier bag buyer.
It should mean (and this is how APL Express express it):
The FIRST dimension is the width across the horizontal face of the bag.
The SECOND is dimension of the base (if the bag opens out to form a base) or the width of the gusset if there is one . If there is neither a base nor a gusset, you will see only two dimensions.
The THIRD is the height, excluding the handle.
If you see a FOURTH DIMENSION, let us know, we might like to join you there.
So an APL bag that is 38 x 10 x 42 cm is 38cm wide, it has a 10 cm base and sides, and it is 42cm high excluding the handle. And it's still on Planet Earth.
If you think in feet and inches, here's a handy converter to change centimetres (cm) to inches.
"Landscape" shape bags are wider than they are tall, such as our very attractive
.
"Portrait" shape bags are taller than they are wide, such as our
.
And we offer
in both portrait and landscape.
Most other suppliers use the same convention, but if you’re in the advertising, PR or printing business you’ll be used to the height being given first, so note the difference.
That's all folks!
We hope you find this information interesting and useful: your feedback would be appreciated on anything that you think could be added, or that is confusing, or that you disagree with, or that you think is just plain wrong and needs putting right! Telephone us on 01903 202 333, or email service@aplexpress.co.uk
© Copyright 2010 APL Express Ltd. You must if you want to reproduce this APL Express Glossary in whole or in part.
