4 Common Paper Bag Materials – How Should We Choose

If you are running a restaurant, a store, or a grocery, that paper bags may be the first choice you packing goods for your customers. Before you start your business, you may think that paper bag is ordinary merchandise. But once you go to the wholesale market or order online, then you may be confused – there are too many varieties of paper bags!

Different types of paper bags have different use – for shopping, food or gift packaging, etc. Typically, it depends on the paper bag materials. Now, let’s see what material is our daily using paper bags made from, and the pros and cons of them. Hope it can help with your purchase.

Common Paper Bag Materials

The raw material for making paper bags is natural wood fiber. Still, they have different properties because of the different processing methods.

Kraft Paper

Kraft is the common brown paper we usually see; many groceries and bakeries will use it for goods packaging. Typically it weighs 80-120g/square meters, light but strong, with great flexibility and tears resistance to carry heavy things. Therefore, some clothing and shoe stores will use it for packaging too. Even with handles, the joints are not easy to break. Some kraft paper bags that have been through enhancing process can pack the cement.

The ordinary kraft paper is brown, which the natural color of the wood. And some kraft will be bleached or whitening during processing and finally turn white. It’s for some special requirements like making pharmacy bags. And it is also suitable for printing by single or double color, to get a new customize style. Anyway, the best advantage of kraft paper is the cost; it has the lowest price in the materials for making paper shopping bags. Your business cost can be reduced a lot if you choose it.

White Paper

As the name suggests, white paper is white. During the raw material processing, the wood fiber will be bleached in chemical methods and completed turn white, then be multilayer compressed. White paper is thicker and stronger than kraft paper, typically 210-300g/square meters.

White paper is also usually be processed into shopping bags. Because of the excellent brightness, glossy and white surfaces are suitable for any printing technology, making many creative designs possible and better promotion for your brand. And the white paper also can be processed into some simple product packages by its firm body, such as pizza and gift boxes.

Black Paper

Black paper can be said to be the twin with white paper. It has the same properties as the white paper, but both sides of it are black. Therefore, compared with white paper, it is not suitable for the common color printed. However, on the gold and silver stamping processing, black paper can be express the high sense faultlessly. The shopping bags offer by most of the luxury brands and high-grade clothing stores are made from gold-stamped black papers.

Coated Paper

Coated paper also common, which is one primary material of shopping bags. Its thickness falls between kraft paper and white paper, typically 80-250g/square meters. It is softer than white paper. As a raw material, coated paper is complex to process; the kaolin and other ingredients take up a significant proportion. According to different processing methods, it can also be classified into various types like one-side coated, double-side coated, and matte.

The characteristic of coated paper is very suitable for printing. Ink can form the gayest and rich hierarchy sense color on the surface. So it is usually be used in magazine printing. Another, coated paper is also suitable for creating a third dimension pattern by embossing.

Are These Paper Materials Safe?

All the paper bags are safe for the human body, and you won’t get harm by touching them. But under some situations, such as heating or burning the paper with patterns printed, especially the coated papers, will lead to toxic gas release. It will harm the health even danger to life.

Generally, people take more care about whether the kraft food bags will pollute the foods.

Actually, it is no need to be worried. Every country and region has a strict standard on the food packages; they must all be food-grade. Take JiRong as an example. All our kraft paper bags and containers for food packaging are made from non-toxic, safe, food-grade paper, and they will also be processed in an antimicrobial workshop. More than that, before packing them, we still disinfecting them with UV to ensure their safety.

Are Paper Bags Made of Different Materials All Eco-friendly?

99% of paper bags’ components are from natural plant fiber. Yes, making paper needs to cut down trees; it is identified as not eco-friendly in the past time, even though trees are renewable resources. However, as people attach more and more importance to environmental protection and technological development, the paper reuse technology is getting complete. Nowadays, most of the paper products in the market are made from recycled paper. Like Apple, Google, Sony, many major companies gradually raise the recycled paper used ratio on their products’ packaging.

Recycled paper is from every waste paper product in our life, including newspapers, packaging bags, and boxes. Especially the paper food bags, which take a huge part. They won’t be simply landfilling for biodegradation anymore or be burned directly, but return to our life in a more eco-friendly way.

What Material Paper Products Should I Choose? 

To purchase paper bags for your business, first, you should determine the budget and requirements.

If you are running a restaurant, food truck, or food products process factory, then food-grade kraft paper bags are the only choice for you.

If you are running a small clothing brand store, online or offline, then the budget will be a big decisive factor. The coated paper bags always cost more than the others, but their excellent appearance worthing it. Of course, under a limited budget, the ordinary kraft paper bag is also a nice choice; it still can make your brand popular with a wonderful design.

Are you a local industry supplier? Our various styles are no doubt can make you most satisfied. A large quantity consolidated purchasing can always get the most favorable quote from JiRong. Establish a cooperative relationship will let us to win-win.

Of course, if you still can not make sure what material you want, please click here to contact us. JiRong’s professional team will offer you the best scheme.