Should I Be Replacing Polythene Bags?
Everything has an alternative and polythene bags are no exception. The question is whether you are looking for the cheapest possible option for your products or the best possible choice for the environment.
We won’t preach either cause! To help you make your decision, we’ve taken all of the bags that we do from our catalogue, put them on a matrix of price, low to high and environmental impact low to high for you.
Go up for cheaper, down for more expensive. The more to the left, the higher the environmental impact the more to the right the more environmentally friendly….
Explainers on each item also below. We’ve used our standard price break catalogue rates for A4 size items to make the comparison a level one!
Grip Seal Bags £0.041
0% Recycled Material
Grip Seal bags are nearly all imported into the United Kingdom. Currently they don’t contain recycled material. Its highly likely that they will start to do so in the future.
Cheaper Options
Clear Poly Bag 120g 50% Cheaper, no seal
Enviro Friendly Options
Bio Grip Seal Bag 70% more expensive
Clear Poly Bag 120g No seal, contains more than 30% recycled plastic
Bubble Bags (Self-Seal) £0.094
Bubble bags contain more than 30% recycled material and offer a little more protection than a grip seal or a clear poly bag.
Cheaper Options
Grip Seal Bag 7% Cheaper, no bubble protection
Clear Poly Bag 50% Cheaper, no seal or bubble protection
Enviro Friendly Options
Bubble Lined Envelope 65% more expensive better protection, can mail direct
Lay Flat Tubing 55% more expensive, no bubble protection but use only what you need and contain more than 30% recycled material
Mailing Bags £0.041
Mailing Bags differ from clear poly bags, bubble bags and grips seal because you can use them as outer protection for mailing. They now contain around 80% recycled material.
Cheaper Options
There are no cheaper options that can be used without other packaging direct in the mail.
Enviro Friendly Options
Padded Bag 92% more expensive, much better protection
Paper Lined Envelope 94% more expensive, better protection and lighter
Clear Polythene Bags £0.022
All clear polythene bags will contain more than 30% Recycled Material.
Cheaper Options
No cheaper options
Enviro Friendly Options
Bio Clear Poly Bag 50% more expensive, bio-degradable
Layflat Tubing 78% more expensive, would use less, can seal both ends
Lay Flat Tubing £0.101
Lay Flat Tubing has more than 30% Recycled Material but also saves on plastic. It is cut to the length of the goods and sealed at either end, cutting out on waste.
Cheaper Options
Clear Poly Bag 78% Cheaper, only if you don’t end up using more bags
Grip Seal Bags 60% Cheaper, self-seal, again only cheaper if more plastic is not used
Enviro Friendly Options
Bio Clear Poly Bag 66% cheaper, bio-degradable, but no seal and only cheaper if more bags not used
Bio Grip Seal Bag 21% more expensive, has a seal but could be more expensive still if more bags used
Biodegradable Clear Poly Bags £0.044
0% Recycled Material
These bags don’t contain recycled material – but they are bio-degradable, a great way to ensure one-use plastic does not hang around too long.
Cheaper Options
Clear Poly Bag 96% Cheaper, contains more than 30% recycled material
Grip Seal Bags 91% Cheaper, no recycled material, has a seal
Enviro Friendly Options
Based on the item being bio-degradable, no items more environmentally friendly.
Bubble Lined Envelopes £0.127
30% + Recycled Material
The plastic inside (used for bubbles) does contain more than 30% recycled. Of the items used for direct mail, this is the middle ground – stronger than a mailing bag, not as strong as a corrugated envelope.
Cheaper Options
Mailing Bag 68% Cheaper, no way near as much protection
Enviro Friendly Options
Paper Lined Envelope 60% more expensive, no plastic
Padded Bag 50% more expensive, no plastic, more protection
Biodegradable Grip Seal Bags £0.126
0% Recycled Material
No recycled material, but it isn’t required as the item is fully biodegradable.
Cheaper Options
Standard Grip Seal Bags 68% Cheaper, no recycled material, not bio-degradable
Clear Poly Bag 83% Cheaper, no seal, recycled material but not bio-degradable
Enviro Friendly Options
None
Padded Bags £0.25
100% Recycled Material
Heavy duty padded bags with no plastic content.
Cheaper Options
Bubble Lined Envelopes 50% Cheaper, not as heavy duty, contains plastic
Mailing Bags 84% Cheaper, no way near as much protection, all-plastic
Enviro Friendly Options
None
Paper Lined Envelopes £0.32
100% Recycled Material
With Paper fluting instead of Bubble lining, these are easier to recycled and offer just as much protection.
Cheaper Options
Bubble Lined Envelopes 60% Cheaper, contains plastic
Padded Bags 22% Cheaper, all paper, better protection. We’d go with these!
Enviro Friendly Options
None, but padded bags are cheaper with more protection and have no plastic.
Book Wraps £0.44
100% Recycled Material
Wrap around ability so no void fill required. All paper based so an ideal enviro option.
Corrugated protection is one of the best available.
Cheaper Options
Padded Bag 44% Cheaper, better protection but not as easy to wrap around a product.
Bubble Lined Envelope 71% Cheaper, no way near as heavy duty and contains plastic.
Enviro Friendly Options
None.
Corrugated Mailers £0.47
100% Recycled Material
Very tough, all paper postal bags and envelopes for heavier or high value goods.
Cheaper Options
Padded Bag 47% Cheaper, equivalent protection but harder to fill
Book Wrap 6% Cheaper, not as good protection, easier to wrap
Enviro Friendly Options
None.
What does adding recycled material do to the product?
If we start with a clear bag that has no recycled plastic in it, the difference would be:
- The product may be a little more stretchy
- There will be a very slight grey tint to the bag
You may be using Clear Polythene items, mailers or other bags that don’t currently contain recycled material – but may as well do. There are circumstances where a virgin grade bag is better – the clarity is a lot higher for presentation and the packaging may come into contact with food. If neither of those are the case, its well worth checking of the product you are using can be moved over to contain recycled material.
You’ll notice day to day items like plastic bottles are starting to go a little grey. This is as the UK Manufacturers and companies exporting to the UK start to adapt to the new tax.
Don’t forget, its not difficult to get packaging samples! Just contact one of our team and we’ll be happy to give you whatever is required.