Winner: 100% Recycled Kraft Bags

We prioritize packaging with as much recycled content as humanly possible, emphasizing post-consumer waste. Our Kraft Bags are made from 100% recycled natural Kraft paper. They come with or without a seal. Those without a seal are made with 90% post-consumer waste, and those with a seal are made with 60% post-consumer waste.

Our Glassine Bags are made from paper and FSC certified, utilizing wood from a controlled blend of trees in British Columbia, CA: Western Yellow; Red Cedar, and BC Interior Spruce, Pine; Fir (SPF). While FSC certified, they are made with virgin paper - making them less ecological than the Kraft Bag & Seals.

Our Poly Bags are made with 100% recycled post-industrial plastic. While post-industrial content is not as impactful to the planet as post-consumer content, we have been unable to achieve as clear of a bag as is needed when post-consumer content is added.

Winner: 100% Recycled Poly Bags

The manufacturing process of a paper package is more carbon-intensive and polluting than that of an equivalently sized plastic package.

While this differential exists between our 100% recycled clear poly bags and our glassine and kraft bags, two factors make the difference between our Poly Bags and Glassine Bags particularly great.

The first is that glassine is entirely virgin. Secondly, glassine is more energy-intensive to produce than traditional paper. This is because the lignin must be completely removed from the raw wood chips (requiring more bleach and heat than standard paper) and because of the high heat and pressure necessary for super calendaring. Finally, our Poly Bags are 100% recycled, meaning their carbon footprint and emissions are lower than virgin poly film.

Winner: 100% Recycled Poly Bags

Glassine Bags are more than three times thicker and heavier than Poly Bags. Kraft Bags are even thicker than glassine bags! This means transporting and storing these paper alternatives takes three times the resources.

However, it is essential to note that for most manufactured goods, transportation represents 3-10% of the carbon footprint - not significant, but also not a major contributor.

Winners: Glassine and Kraft Bags

This is where the Kraft and Glassine Bags truly shine! We prioritize materials that are easily recyclable as this is the best ecological option for a package (after reuse). These bags are paper, so they are easily recycled curbside with paper products. Additionally, they are naturally biodegradable and compostable. Although these bags are technically compostable, we don’t advocate for composting Glassine Bags or Kraft Bags.

Recycling is far more eco-friendly for paper packaging, especially the type of high-quality paper found in Glassine Bags. However, if they happened to end up as litter, they would biodegrade in natural environments. 100% Recycled Poly Bags are recyclable but not biodegradable.

Like all thin film, they cannot be curbside recycled as the flimsy material gets caught in the gears of the sorting equipment at materials recovery facilities. They must be recycled at thin-film drop-offs, found in almost every grocery store and big-box retailer nationwide. Because of this inconvenience, they have lower recycling rates than paper ( 11.5% for plastic bags compared to 66% for paper goods).

Winner: 100% Recycled Poly Bags

It is hard to beat the functionality of any plastic, including 100% Recycled Poly Bags - fully waterproof, clear, and durable. Clear poly bags protect goods and allow for easier sorting and storage by their retailers. They are also often a packaging requirement set by third-party fulfillment centers such as Amazon FBA.

Runner Up: Glassine Bags

We are thrilled about Glassine Bags because they offer a lot of the functionality companies need for this wholesale packaging. They are translucent enough to see an item's color and scan its barcode. These bags also offer some moisture resistance. Unlike standard paper, glassine is toothless and doesn’t irritate goods or run paper fibers onto contents. Glassine also does not produce static, unlike poly film. Additionally, we love that our Glassine Bags are gusseted and have air holes, making them easy to use in a high-speed operation.

Winner: 100% Recycled Poly Bags

Paper is more expensive than plastic; this cost differential can be seen in our pricing for Poly Bags and Glassine Bags. Depending on your desired size and quantity, Glassine Bags are 2.5 to 4 times the price of Poly Bags.

Winners: Kraft and Glassine Bags

We love the aesthetics of the Kraft Bags. They have a natural look and can be custom branded in relatively low quantities. Because this is internal packaging rather than an outer shipping solution, the likelihood that a well-branded Kraft Bag ends up in customers' hands without blemishes or scuffs is high. Additionally, whether branded or not, Kraft Bags are not a very common internal packaging solution, especially our Kraft Bag & Seals. Customers will notice that your packaging strategy is unique in its effort to be more sustainable.

We also know that many brands love the unique appearance of glassine bags. They are translucent and have a unique, soft, smooth finish. They can also be beautifully custom branded at order quantities of just 500.