A grocery bag is a bag that you use for carrying products that you bought at the grocery. In the 50s and 60s of the 20th century, it was quite normal to bring your own bag to a store to carry the items back home. This was simply called the shopping bag. These bags were made of all kinds of materials, among which plastics, natural fibers, or strong paper. Old people who had to walk quite a distance from their homes to the shops, used a shopping bag on wheels.
in the 70s, stores started to hand out plastic bags with every sale. These bags carried not only the items that were bought, but also the logo of the store that sold the products. However, in the 90s people started to realize that giving away promotional plastic bags in massive amounts is bad for the environment, both at the side of production (the use of natural resources and energy) and at the side of consumers (the number of bags that are used once and become waste). A method to end this waste is to have consumers pay a small amount for their bags. This usually leads to the reuse of the custom plastic bags, both good for the environment and the seller who has his logo reused.
In several countries in Africa, the environmental problem resulting from all those plastic bags became such an issue that these countries decided to ban plastic bags all together. The people were encouraged to use ‘real’ bags from natural fibers, as these were the standard before the plastic bag revolution. Another benefit of this policy was the jobs that it provided.
However, in western countries there is no trend visible to ban custom printed plastic bags all together. Still, activists and green organizations try to promote sustainable materials for bags, and the reuse of shopping bags by consumers. The reason why western countries do not give much priority to reducing the plastic bag usage, is because these custom plastic bags are usually made of polyethylene. This is a material that can be used as fuel in power plants without releasing harmful gases or substances. In addition, some shops in the UK use a custom plastic bag that, under the influence of air and UV light, degrades fast and thus making it less harmful to the environment.
Some stores, such as in Canada, ask customers if they want a paper bag or a plastic bag. The prevailing idea is that the consumer will make an honest decision between the environment and the ease of use. However, a paper bag also has negative effects on the environment, especially at the side of production. All in all, personalized plastic bags are a useful tool for shopkeepers, and when used with care, and the encouragement of reuse, they can be a responsible choice as well.