Paper bags are a reusable product, and if you buy high-quality ones you will be able to get a lot of future use out of it from your supermarket shops and general retail trips. However, like all items, paper bags will eventually deteriorate and no longer be able to be used as bags.
When this day comes, one of the best ways you can further reduce the impact on the environment is through finding new creative uses for the old paper bags. Below we have listed some of the most useful ways that you can breathe new life into your leftover paper bags.
- Shred them and use them as packaging for parcels
In the modern world where delivery services have made it easy for us to buy and sell goods online, the packaging that the industry spawns is becoming a growing burden on the environment. If you can reuse this packaging it is one of the best ways to make your online trading greener. Old paper bags make good packaging material as they are often rigid and can be reused by the buyer if they need to send parcels in the future.
We recommend shredding or scrunching the paper bags as this will help you shape it to the contours of the item you are selling. This will increase the overall secureness of the package.
- Use paper bags to ripen under ripened fruit
This one has proven to be far more than an old wives tale. If you want to shorten the process of ripening fruit putting it into an old paper bag helps to create conditions in which the fruit will reach maturity faster. This is due to the additional ethylene gas that is trapped inside the bag. Paper bags are great for this as they stop mould from forming which can happen in plastic airtight containers.
- Start composting with old paper bags
Despite common knowledge, food waste actually does not properly decompose in our landfills. In fact, organic material sits stagnant and can complicate the waste management process. One of the ways that you can deal with this is through composting. This is great if you have a large garden. Using a compostable paper bag also means you do not have to get your hands dirty when getting rid of the waste.
Recycle your paper bags so they can be turned into new products! If none of the options listed above are feasible for your paper bags, make sure that you recycle them through the proper channel. This will then lead to them being turned into recycled paper bags which can be distributed by environmentally-conscious paper bag manufacturers.