Carrier bags

Buy from a massive range of best value carrier bags now, including clear, coloured, biodegradable and printed carriers.

Carrier bags are...

• Polythene bags used to carry items, usually shopping
• Also known as carriers, shopping bags or plastic bags
• Provided (or sold) by retailers everywhere, from charity shops to high-end departments stores and corner shops to supermarkets
• Carried by billions of customers across the planet
• An ergonomic solution to carrying shopping
• Designed to be easy to carry, with convenient carry handles, allowing the shopper to carry more than one bag with each hand
• Available in a wide range of sizes to cater for small or large products
• Available in a range of thicknesses, from lightweight supermarket shopping bags to deluxe glossy luxury carriers
• Available in a range of coloured polythene, either plain or printed
• A great way for a retailer to increase publicity - add your logo to the side of a carrier bag for ready-made mobile advertising!
• An integral part of any retailer’s branding and advertising strategy
• An invaluable aid in carrying shopping from store to home
• Suitable to use and reuse for numerous shopping trips, time after time
• Multi-purpose bags - can be used for many and varied purposes, aside from shopping

Carrier bags - take your pick

Carrier bags come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with a bag available to suit any retailer. Here are some of the most popular styles of carrier bags used today:

Vest - The best known carrier bag in the UK and beyond, traditionally used by supermarkets, smaller food stores, general stores and market traders. Made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and available in a variety of colours, plain or printed, these bags are lightweight but strong. Handles are attached to each side of the bag make it look like a vest from the front, hence the name. Provided they are not over-filled, these bags are capable of handling regular shopping with ease.

Patch handle - A more glossy and sturdy carrier bag, commonly used by high street stores to impress their customers. Made from thicker polythene than vest carriers to provide extra strength, these rectangular bags have a handle punched out of the top, reinforced by an extra patch of polythene, which gives the bags its name. Available in clear or coloured polythene and the perfect bag on which to print a design or logo to advertise the retailer, hence the popularity with high street retailers.

Varigauge - Similar in appearance to its patch handle cousin, the varigauge carrier bag is rectangular in shape with a handle punched out. However, the clever use of a varied gauge - or thickness - of polythene, which is twice as thick at the top of the bag than it is at the bottom, means that the need to reinforce the handle with a patch is avoided. Available in a variety of colours, these strong bags with extra room thanks to a bottom gusset, are very popular with retailers keen to make a good impression with customers.

Clip close - These strong rectangular bags have an integral white clip attached right across the top of the bag that clip closes shut, giving the bag its name. Made from thick clear polythene with a side gusset, these bags allow retailers to display their products, whilst not compromising on bag strength or quality. The sturdy clip also allows you to hang up the bag - and contents - to really show it off.

Flexiloop - These luxury carriers take their name from the flexiloop handle that is attached - by heat-welding - to the inside of the bag on both sides. Popular with supermarkets who sell them as ‘Bags for life’ - encouraging customers to reuse the bag - flexiloop carriers are made from thicker polythene than regular carriers, which makes them more expensive to produce. Paper versions of the flexiloop carrier bag are popular with boutique shops or fancy high street retailers.

Duffle - A sturdy polythene bag featuring a cord threaded around the top opening and down the sides of the bag. Pull the cord to close the bag tight and loosen to open. Useful for carrying bulky or weighty items and handy to carry, so often used by sportspeople as a kit bag. Also popular with sports shoe retailers.

Drawstring - Less sturdy than the duffle bag, so not suitable for similarly bulky contents, but operate on a similar principle. Drawstring bags feature two strings looped around the opening of the bag, with the ends of the drawstring appearing through separate openings adjacent to each other. When pulled at the same time, the strings tighten together and the bag closes. Typically made from clear polythene, these bags are a popular way of displaying products in a shop.

Grip Seal - A cross between a carrier bag and a grip seal bag, these bags contain an integral grip seal that runs across the width of the bag just below the cut-out handle. Simply squeeze the grip seal between forefinger and thumb to seal the bag shut, providing protection from rain or other external contaminants, then gently pull apart to open and repeat as many times as you wish. With a clear polythene front, a handle for hanging and a glossy finish, these bags are a great way to display your products.

Show off your business with printed carriers

Printed carrier bags are an ideal way for businesses to advertise directly into their local community. Take a plain patch handle carrier and turn it from the smart, sturdy carrier bag it normally is into a walking advert for your business.

Businesses have to provide carrier bags to their customers anyway, so why not pay a little more for them and get something back from the carrier bags once they have left your shop.

By adding your company logo or design to one or both sides of your carrier bags, you not only make your business look more professional and more eye-catching, but you let your customers act as mobile advertisers, when they leave your store and walk around others in the area with your company branding there for all to see.

You can even add a slogan or advertising message to tell your potential customers exactly what they need to know about your store. All this, carried straight out into the heart of your target market and the hundreds or thousands of other potential customers out there.

Not only do printed carriers help attract new customers, but they also reinforce the message to existing customers that you are a professional, reliable and smart retailer. So next time they go to their cupboard or car boot and see your carrier bag, they see your bag, that initial good impression is reinforced and they move that step closer to being a return customer.

So why bother with plain carrier bags? Go one step further and design your own printed carriers, complete with your company branding, to take your business to the next level.

Where to buy carrier bags

Carrier bag manufacturers and suppliers include:

Carrier Bags
Discount Carrier Bags provides customers with an instant quote on a range of printed carrier bags. Get your very own design or logo printed on one or both sides of a quality thick carrier for as little as 4p a bag. Get a quote in 60 seconds, any time of day, 24/7!
www.discountcarrierbags.co.uk

Personalised Carrier Bags
With instant real-time quotes on personalised printed carrier bags, Discount Printed Carrier Bags is the place to go for bespoke carrier bags at terrific discount prices. Get your design printed on strong, smooth, high quality polythene bags in a range of sizes, from just 4p a bag and with free delivery in the UK.
www.discountprintedcarrierbags.co.uk

Printed Carrier Bags
The home of printed carrier bags online - offering high quality 55-micron thick carrier bags printed with your very own design. With a free instant quote, the lowest prices online - starting at just 4p a bag - and free UK delivery, this website is the place to go for printed carriers - the best way to advertise your business.
www.printedcarrierbags.com

Carrier Bag
If you need a carrier bag of any style, size or colour, then Carrier Bags is the website for you. They provide customers with a huge range of polythene carrier bags, from varigauge carriers to vest carriers and with a selection of biodegradable alternatives.
www.carrierbags.co

Buy Carrier Bags
A useful resource for anyone looking to buy carrier bags. Featuring lots of information of different types of carriers - including bespoke printed carrier bags - and where you can buy them, this website will definitely help you find the right carrier bag for you.
www.buy-carrier-bags.co.uk

Printed Carriers
Find out more about printed carrier bags and a range of other plastic carriers at this useful website, including details of each type of bag and the best place to buy discount printed carrier bags online.
www.discountprintedcarrierbags.com

Printed Bags
Printed Bags Direct offers customers information and details on where to buy a wide range of stock carrier bags and bespoke printed carrier bags, so you can find out everything you need in one handy website.
www.printedbagsdirect.co.uk

Carrier Bag Printing
An excellent resource on printed carrier bags and stock carrier bags, with detailed descriptions on a range of carrier bag categories.
www.printedcarrierbags2u.com

Coloured Carrier Bags
Coloured Bags Direct is a website dedicated to printed carrier bags. A division of industry-leading manufacturer Polybags, they offer customers colour printing on a range of polythene carrier bags.
www.colouredbagsdirect.co.uk

Patch Handle Carrier Bags
Are you looking for printed carrier bags, patch handle carrier bags or any other style from a wide range of plastic carriers? This website is the site you need to help you make that all-important decision and find the right carrier bag for you.
www.printedcarrierbagsdirect.co.uk

Coloured Plastic Bags
Coloured Bags offer colour printing of carrier bags to help you advertise your business. Get a free quotation on your own design printed carrier bags, or choose from a wide range of stock carriers.
www.colouredbags.com

Plastic Carrier Bags
This handy website offers a useful resource on plastic carriers and printed carrier bags, including details of the types of bags available - from clip close carriers to patch handle carriers - and where to buy them.
www.printedcarrierbagsdirect.com

Research & Resources

For more information on carrier bags, the wide range of polythene and biodegradable carriers available, their many uses and how to recycle them, please visit:

Goldstork: A free online 'best-of-the-web' directory listing specially selected information on a wide range of plain and printed carrier bags.

PackagingKnowledge: The UK's premier polythene packaging knowledge website, containing loads of useful information and in-depth articles on carrier bags, as read by those in the industry.

PlasticBags.uk.com: List products for free as a manufacturer or, if you're shopper, simply browse a massive selection of carrier bags websites on this unrivalled polythene packaging directory.

Single-use carriers? No such thing!

The carrier bag is often portrayed in the media as the single biggest cause of pollution and litter on the planet.

Most commonly, the high density polythene (HDPE) carrier bag used by supermarkets is singled out as the biggest culprit. These bags, which are subject to a government levy in many countries - meaning customer have to pay a few pence or cents for each bag they use - are often referred to as “single-use carriers”, which is a term that is not only misleading but also irresponsible.

Carrier bags should be reused as often as possible and by calling them “single-use carriers” - including in newspaper articles widely criticising the use of such bags - the implication is there that the bags should be thrown away.

This is giving entirely the wrong message to customers and does not represent the facts. 82% of UK households reuse over half of all carrier bags they use, with 59% reusing all of them (Waste Resources Action Programme report, 2005).

There are so many things you can do with a carrier bag once you’ve used it to carry your shopping home. The most obvious is to take it back to the shop and use it again for its original purpose - to carry shopping! But you can also use carrier bags for wrapping your packed lunch, or as a portable laundry bag when you go on holiday, or wrapping shoes in a suitcase to keep your clothes clean. There are loads of things you can use it for if you put your mind to it, so use your carriers again and again.

Even when your carrier has seen better days and you’re ready to throw it out, you can give it one final hurrah and use it as a rubbish bag before throwing it in the bin. There’s no such thing as a single use carrier bag - at least there shouldn’t be!

Trending results for carrier bags

Flexiloop carriers handle heavy or awkward loads better than simple punched-handle bags because the lifting point sits in a strengthened loop rather than a weakened cut edge. That detail matters in stores and back rooms where cartons, tins or mixed products acquire shifted quickly and bags are not always lifted neatly. The additional strength spreads the strain through the film instead of concentrating it at one small strip, so the handle is less likely to split as the load swings or settles. The bag also retains its shape better below pressure from nearby boxes, which reduces the risk of contents bulging and tearing through. Fewer handle failures mean less repacking and less damaged products at the handover point.

Vest carriers are only as useful as the method they are built and packed, because poor stitching, awkward pocket placement, or weak closures can make them clumsy in use and prone to failure. In trade terms, the same thinking applies to any sewn product that has to grasp weight and retain its shape below rough handling, whether it is moving through a warehouse or sitting in a vehicle. A carrier with firm seams, sensible reinforcement, and enough room for its load will stay tidy and predictable, while a badly manufactured one sags, twists, or tears early. That sort of problem normally shows up fast on the shop floor, and it leaves a practical headache rather than a tidy product.

Patch handle carriers depend more on the film construction than on the artwork, because the material determines how the pack behaves in the hand and on the line. High-density polythene suppliers gives a firmer, more structured feel, which assists the carrier retain its shape when loaded, while lower-density grades add flexibility and make folding around cartons easier. A co-extruded film can combine those traits without pushing gauge higher than needed, so the pack still seals properly and sees tidy. That balance matters in converting, where the gross spec can mean stretched handles, weak welds and unnecessary waste. A well-matched film retains production steadier and reduces avoidable handling problems later.

Coloured carrier bags are often judged only as checkout carriers, yet their film can be put to practical use long after the purchase is carried out. Strong pigmentation gives fast visual impact for bunting, simple event decoration and low-cost craft work, while the light polythene suppliers is easy to cut, tie and twist without adding bulk. That makes them useful for volunteer teams and shop-floor crews who need a fast material with small waste. The point is not only colour, nevertheless how the bag behaves in handling. If the gauge is also weak or the film inconsistent, the bag tears before it can be reused, so a decent stop assists a second life instead of immediate discard.

Plain carrier bags have a simple job, and that simplicity can be a strength when speed and cost control matter above presentation. A plain kraft or paper bag is often chosen because it is tidy, easy to stack, and fast to issue at the till, with no printed surface to worry about smudging or clashing with a changing promotion. That makes sense in busy shops where the main aim is to acquire products out cleanly without slowing the checkout. The downside is that the bag stops at transport and says none about the store once it leaves the counter, so the selection suits operations that value function above display.

Printed carrier bags only work properly when the print is planned around the film, not added as a last-small stop. A sharp design on press means small if the gauge is also thin for the contents, the seal line is inconsistent, or the handle region has not been built to take a full load. Good converting retains register proper, film tension even and edge trim clean, so the bag opens and occupies without slowing the packing line. When those basics are missed, split seams, scuffed ink and awkward handling soon follow. A bag has to survive the same rough treatment as the products inside it, not only see tidy on the reel.

Poly carriers are often chosen for the method they assist warehouse control as much as for the products they grasp. A carrier manufactured in the proper polythene suppliers gauge can cope with mixed issue packs, whether the contents are folded clothing, toiletries or boxed sundries, without splitting at the seams or sagging into a shape that slows secondary packing. Very light film may reduce material use, nevertheless it gives up puncture resistance when hard corners press against softer stock, and that quickly creates rework at the packing bench. A proper melt and sensible film tension also assist the bag dash cleanly on fast select-and-pack lines, which retains damage down and makes pallet layers easier to build.

polythene suppliers carriers that are specified also lightly tend to fail where it matters most, at the point of use rather than in the recycled bin. A thin gauge can save resin, nevertheless there is no value in a bag that rips at the handle, beginnings to split on a sharp product edge, or gives method the moment a heavy item shifts in hand. That quickly leads to double-bagging and additional secondary packing, which cancels out much of the material saving. A sensible specification matches thickness, weld strength and puncture resistance to the method the carrier is in reality handled. When that balance is proper, the bag does its job once and leaves less mess behind for the retailer.

See part 10 below for information about direct assist arrangements for carriers.

The carrier's waiver notice matters because it confirms that a charge will not be pursued, which removes uncertainty from the paperwork trail and lets the consignment transport on without a dispute hanging above it. In practical terms, the Form IS80C from the Carriers Liaison Section acts as the formal record that the concession has been applied, so records staff, dispatch teams and transport planners can all work from the same position. That cuts down on follow-up queries and avoids wasting time on a charge that has already been set aside. Clear notification also assists retain records tidy for audit or claims checking later.

Printed Carrier Bags

Carrier bags only work well when the material matches the job, because film behaviour determines how they perform on the packing line and in the hand. A higher-density polythene suppliers can feel stiffer and grasp its shape better on the select-face, while a softer low-density film may stretch more and resist tearing in a alternative method. Gauge matters also: also light and bags split or pucker below load, also heavy and they waste material and take up additional storage space. The optimal specifications give enough handle strength and puncture resistance without making the bag awkward to store, occupy or dispatch, and that balance saves trouble later.