Interesting Information About Paper Bags

You probably don't even think about paper bags that much. That's because they're everywhere. However, they actually have a long and intriguing history behind them.

Paper bags are a common fixture in the daily lives of many, who carry groceries in them, pack up their kids lunches, or just tote around the things they bought in a department store. Retailers often seem them as a blank slate where they can put their branded product packaging. Some people use them for masks on Halloween, or just to hide their shame when attending games of losing sports teams.

Given all this, it can be very easy to remember that someone actually had to invent these a long time ago, because they haven't actually been around forever. As with other great inventions, paper bags filled a specific need that people didn't even realize they had at the time. Prior to paper bags, people used other containers, like baskets and bowls, in both homes and stores.

You can likely see how back then that the development of a disposable and seriously convenient container would up revolutionizing things. Businesses could now keep stacks upon stacks of bags in their stores. Their simplicity of use and affordability increased their popularity among many different classes in society.

How did all this start? How did this otherwise plain and ordinary thing work its way into the hands of billions of consumers around the world? Keep reading to find out.

The Creators Who Paved The Way

During many centuries of the British Empire, goods were held and moved using sacks composed of burlap, canvas, and jute. These materials are robust and last a good long time. However, producing them was costly, in terms of labor, money, and resources. Alternatively, paper could get produced far more economically. Soon, it wound up being the dominant material for most portable bags used along a lot of the active trade routes.

Paper bags are thought to have been introduced in the 1800s, but they've gone through several upgrades along the way, courtesy of some creative folks. Francis Wolle was one of them. It was in 1852 that he created the first-known machine capable of mass-producing paper bags. If you ever see one of his paper bags, you'd note that it looks a lot like a big mailing envelope instead of the modern grocery bags you're used to. As such, his bags could only tote things like documents and small bags, but his machine was certainly a driving force behind paper packaging expanding into mainstream use.

Margaret Knight was an inventor of many things. When she was working for a paper bag company, she took the next big leap forward in paper bags. She was the one that realized how square-bottoms in the bags would offer more pragmatic use than the envelope design Wolle had come up with. She made a machine of her own to make paper bags, and this drove the popularity of paper bags in commerce even more. Her machinery was so profitable that she later established her own paper bag company.

The square-bottomed bags you use today in grocery stores are descendants of her work, but it was Charles Stillwell who added a crucial feature. His development of pleated sides made bags foldable so they could be stored easier. Stillwell was a mechanical engineer by profession, and his design is often referred to as S.O.S. bags, standing for 'self-opening shacks'.

These weren't the only creative forces behind the evolution of paper bags. Fast forward to 1918 in St. Paul, where a pair of grocers came up with another addition to the design passing through the generations. Walter and Lydia Deubener had the idea to punch holes in the sides of the bag so they could attach a string. This string did double duty as a carrying handle and also reinforcement for the bottom. They discovered that customers could now carry nearly 20 pounds of produce and food in every bag. Cash-and-carry grocery stores were now replacing home deliveries, making this a timely innovation.

Materials For Making Paper Bags

Are you wondering what paper bags are made from? Kraft paper made from wood chips is certainly the most common material. Carl F. Dahl was a German chemist who first came up with the process, which starts with exposing wood chips to intense levels of heat. That creates a physical breakdown separating them into solid pulp and a number of byproducts. The pulp gets screened and washed before bleaching, when it then is finally the brown paper everyone knows. Kraft paper is especially strong, and that's why its name is based on the German word for 'strength'.

How Much Can A Paper Bag Hold?

Material isn't the only consideration in choosing a paper bag. If you need to carry something heavy or bulky, then you need to consider various other factors as well:

Grammage/Paper Basis Weight: This measurement numerates the density of the paper in pounds, as it relates to reams of 500. Higher numbers mean denser and heavier paper.

Gusset: This is the reinforced area where extra materials are added for more bag strength. These bags hold more weight and aren't as likely to break.

Twist Handle: These are made from twisting some natural kraft paper into cord-like structures. These are then glued to the interior of the bag, and they're frequently paired up with gussets.

Envelope Vs. Square-Bottom Styles: Wolle's envelope-like bags saw improvements later down the road, but they're still applicable to particular business functions and in postal mailings. Square-bottom bags are used more for bigger things.

So Many Kinds Of Bags

While this content already covered the general development of paper bags along the square-bottom chain of evolution, the modern market now has many different kinds of bags available. Here is a brief sample:

S.O.S Bags: These stand up on their own when things are being put in them. That can be anything from school lunches to larger ones for groceries.

Pinch-Bottoms: These have open-mouth designs. They stay open just like S.O.S. bags, but they have a base featuring a pointed seal as you see on envelopes. These are commonly used by bakeries for food products.

Merchandise: These bags are typically pinch-bottoms used to hold anything from candy to craft supplies. They come in bleached white, natural kraft, and various colors.

Euro Tote: These bags are closely related to wine bags, and they come embellished with lined interiors, corded handles, glitter, and printed patterns. This kind of bag is a common choice for special packaging or giving gifts.

Bakery: These bags are not too different from pinch-bottoms, so they're great for many food products. Their design helps maintain the tastes and textures of baked goods for longer periods of time.

Party: Party bags celebrate special days or occasions with attractive designs or elements. They're often filled with mementos, small toys, and candy.

Mailing: These bags are still in use today for shipping small items and documents.

Recycled: Anyone concerned about the environment should look for these specialty kraft bags. They're often made from recycled materials, ranging at levels from 40 percent to as much as 100 percent.