Paper has long been used to produce packaging, but the paper bags we know today made their debut only in the 19th century. Their origins are related to the invention of a machine for their production by Francis Wolle in 1852. However, centuries earlier, the Chinese had been using mulberry bark sheets to wrap food products, making paper packaging some of the historically oldest packaging.
The beginnings of paper bags
For hundreds of years, shopping bags and packaging have been made of canvas, jute or leather. The first mention of paper bags appears in 1844 in Bristol. However, the Chinese are responsible for creating a product without which it is difficult to imagine shopping nowadays. They were the ones who used sheets obtained from mulberry bark. They were used for packaging - most often food products.
The invention of paper production is attributed to people living in today's China, who were able to produce cellulose pulp already at the beginning of the first century AD, i.e. around 100 AD. However, creating shopping bags was still impossible at that time - not only because of the quality of the material, but also because the production process was much more expensive.
Margaret Knight - a woman with a patent
The method of machine production of paper bags with a flat, square bottom was developed by Margaret Knight. She was an American inventor who in 1868 constructed the first machine for producing flat-bottomed paper bags . This was a revolution in the industry because paper bags had previously been produced in the shape of envelopes and were too small to hold more than one or two items.
It is worth mentioning here the process that accompanied the invention of the paper bag by Margaret Knight. While working in a fabric factory, she designed a device for producing paper bags . A factory worker, Charles Annan, copied her idea and applied for a patent. During the trial, Annan questioned Margaret's skill and ingenuity, stating that "it would be absurd to believe that a woman could understand the complexity of a bag-making machine." However, Margaret submitted a trove of notes, designs, and diary entries relating to her design, which allowed her to obtain a patent in 1873.
Paper bags today
Today, paper bags are very popular. They are used not only as packaging for food products, but also as advertising shopping bags . Many companies decide to produce bags with a logo to increase the visibility of their brand and attract customers.
The paper used to produce paper bags usually has a grammage of 80-110 g/m² and a ribbed texture. Nowadays, the paper from which bags are made is often also colored with colorful prints. Ecological paints are used for dyeing and printing on paper bags .
The importance of paper bags
Today, the role of paper bags is particularly important due to environmental protection as well as promotional strategies. Many companies decide to produce paper bags because they are more ecological than their plastic alternatives. Paper is biodegradable, which means it breaks down quickly in the natural environment without polluting it.
The introduction of the paper bag to the market had a major impact on the development of the packaging industry. Thanks to technological innovations and continuous improvement of production processes, paper bags are now cheaper and more available than ever before. They are also more diverse and tailored to the needs of specific customers, which allows them to be used in various industries.