History of Reusable Grocery Bags
History of Reusable Grocery Bags
Reusable shopping bags, such as PP woven and non woven bags and also various other organic-based bags, have been growing immense in popularity over the last few years. However, the history of such bags stems well before 2005 or even 2000, when the green shopping tote movement began attaining its momentum which can be seen around the globe today. In fact, reusable bag manufacturers started producing their shopping bags as early as 1990s. Over the years, these bags have gone through a noteworthy enhancement regarding what components they are made with, what they cost, and their popularity in modern society.
The genuine history of these kinds of bags actually starts in 1977 when the disposable plastic bags began being put to use around the world, starting in the US. In spite of the fact that the disposable bags had been originally considered as the good replacement for totes made of paper, to save trees, it didn’t take long for consumers to recognize that the bags create pollution in lakes, rivers, and oceans. By the early 1990s, reusable bag manufacturers were establishing businesses around the world.
At first, these shopping bags were taking various forms and being made from materials all the way from cotton to nylon. In the mid 1990s, though, the material identified as polypropylene began acquiring the lead. Such bags, known as PP woven grocery bags, are precisely what are used in many contemporary retail chains. The original bag manufacturing type using this material was non woven PP shopping bags, although woven PP carry bags are being used today as well. The reason this particular material took the lead in the reusable bags manufacturing marketplace is that it was cheap and could be produced for under $0.25 USD per bag yet quite durable. Historically, customers have been comfortable paying as much as $0.99 to $2.99 per bag in US dollars.
Productivity accelerated beginning in 1999. According to the United States International Trade Commission Import Database, close to 3 billion bags appear to have been imported into the US since 1999. Volumes are high as well in countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zea land. However, we can expect that these numbers are likely to continue to rise – not just in those countries but around the globe. In addition to the environmentally friendly trend is increasing use of green shopping bags, and we also are seeing a trend within legislation.
Cities or provinces in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, and many more have recently passed legislation supporting use of reusable shopping totes. While others have gone as far as banning throw-away shopping bags, other countries have added an excise levy on the expendable bags while subsidizing eco friendly grocery bags. Most of these laws have shown very successful in improving the use of PP shopping totes as well as many other materials of eco friendly bags.
Today, the bags are not only found to be a legal and environment trend, but also a fashion trend. Reusable shopping bags manufacturers are adding many customizations that allow people to display their personality with their bags. As the years continue, it is estimated the upward trend in reusable shopping bag use will remain strong.