Oftentimes, customers overlook handles on paper shopping bags as an important feature. However, they are important when it comes to designing eco-friendly bags for your brand. Staying in the know about different sustainable options and styles are a great start in the designing process. When choosing the right handle for your paper shopping bag, there are many eco-friendly options; think paper twist or paper handles that have a braid design. These two common handle types not only have a big visual impact on customers but are recyclable through the single stream recycling process. While these handle types are unique, they add very little expense to the overall cost of your paper shopping bag.
Paper Shopping Bag Handles
First, paper twist handles are a great sustainable option when adding handles to your bag. Create paper twist handles from durable paper that can twist into a handle shape for dependable and comfortable carry. The handles themselves secure onto the interior of the bag. As a result, the handle style is sleek for a minimal approach and easily caters to the artwork on the bag. Along with paper macrame handles, the paper twist style is a popular option for many bags that are often part of the single stream recycling process.
Like paper twist handles, paper macrame handles are made from stronger materials and have a braid-like pattern. This type of pattern will also let your customers carry their bags with comfort and style. Finally, this type of paper handle can match your brand’s color palette with ease. Once the customer is done using the bags, the bag is recyclable. With paper handles, the bags are eligible for the single stream recycling process. With single stream recycling, all parts of your paper shopping bag are recyclable.
The Single Stream Recycling Process
The single stream recycling process is also known as “single-sort” recycling. This refers to a system in which paper fibers and other containers mix in a collection truck and sort separately throughout the collection process. When it comes to single stream recycling, both the collection and processing procedures can handle a full mixture of recyclable material.
Converting to a single-stream recycling process provides an opportunity to update the collection and processing systems. This allows the process to add new materials to the ongoing list of acceptable recyclables. This will also allow more paper grades for recycling, including paper shopping bags, junk mail, as well as mixed paper. Many companies are creating sustainable packaging from recyclable papers from the single stream recycling process to comply with local and national bag ban laws.
Sustainable Materials and Bag Ban Regulations
Many cities and states are passing laws that ban single-use plastic shopping bags. The reason for these bans is to mainly cut down on single-use plastic pollution. As these bag bans are spreading nationwide, paper shopping bags are in high demand and can have at least 40% post-consumer waste.
Constructing shopping bags and handles with a certain percentage of post-consumer waste is also mandatory in some regions. As a result, many companies use FSC® papers. Being FSC® certified means the company must follow all legal verifications and applicable laws, reduce the environmental effects of logging and foresting, and finally, respect the rights of the forest workers and local communities. If your company is FSC® certified, you are making sure your materials come from responsible sources to create the eco-friendliest paper shopping bag.
With the use of sustainable materials and paper twist or paper macrame handles, this cuts down on more waste to create a completely recyclable shopping bag. You can even reuse your bags multiple times before recycling. A multi-use bag with durable handles is the best option when creating recyclable items for your packaging collection.
Keeping the environment in mind is so important when creating the perfect paper shopping bag. With these two handle options, one can easily achieve a recyclable paper shopping bag with strong handles. Adding the finishing touches like these handles can truly make your shopping bag collection unique.
