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27 November, 2021

Best Promotional Shopping Bags For Groceries

Plastic bags are almost a thing of the past in Australia. Nowadays everyone has reusable shopping bags they take with them when grocery shopping. They are a great way to promote your business as they become a walking billboard for your company or cause. There are many different styles and materials that can be used and each of them have pluses and minuses in regards to features, so we thought we’d walk you through the 3 most popular styles and what you can expect.

1. Non-Woven Polypropylene : This is quite a mouthful to say, but this type of material was made popular by the major supermarket chains when plastic bags were first being phased out. It is a popular material to use as it is hard wearing and can bear a lot of weight. The reason the material is called “non-woven” is because the threads are not woven together to create the material. Polymer beads or thread are melted together, bonding them and creating the fabric. The advantage to this type of shopping bag is they are usually made from recycled plastic drink bottles. They are shredded down until it is thread like and this is then what is used to make the fabric. Also the production method means they are cheap to produce compared to a woven bag.


2. Calico and Canvas : Some people ask what is the difference between these two and it basically comes down to the way they are constructed and the amount of material used. Calico is 100% made from cotton thread and is lightly woven. This is why most calico bags are “floppy”. They are usually “natural” which means the material hasn’t been processed. They are great in they easily fold down and take up no room for storage. The disadvantage when it comes to using them as shopping bags is they can not hold large amounts of weight. This is where canvas bags come in. Canvas is still cotton material, but it is woven on the diagonal and it is a much tighter weave compared to calico. This means a lot more material is used. This is why canvas bags are usually extremely sturdy. They are perfect for grocery bags as they can take a lot of weight. The disadvantage is they are a lot more expensive to buy because of the amount of material used, when compared to calico bags.


3. Jute Bags : These are becoming hugely popular as shopping bags. They are easy to customise and are extremely durable and can hold large weights. They are made from the bark of the white jute vegetable plant, which is mainly grown in India. In some countries it is also known as “Burlap”. It is a tough material but also quite rough to the finish. The drawback in this is when printing, the fibres can stand “up” which affects being able to get a consistent flow of ink onto the bag. They are not recommended to have large block areas of print, not fine details, as these will not show up well on the bag. The big plus for this style of shopping bag is it is 100% biodegradable and recyclable. When their life has been used up, you can use them creatively as part of a garden bed as weed matting. Besides the print issues as listed above, the only other thing to note is the cost. Jute bags are expensive when compared to non-woven or calico bags, but if you can afford it, they are definitely worthwhile from a durability and eco standpoint.

As you can see, all of the shopping bag materials listed above have their own pros and cons. If you need help deciding what would work best for your next promotion, give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to help you.

The Promotional Products Team