In 2019, the Kemsley DS Smith paper mill, which is the largest paper recycling plant in the UK, produced paper to make 400 million shopping bags for major retailers and take-away chains.
"We are seeing a considerable increase in demand from bag makers. This requires an annual increase in the production of recycled paper to make these bags, with orders increasing by 400% over the last three years." says English packaging and paper producer DS Smith.
And in the three months leading up to the Black Friday trade event on 28 November 2019, the group's online packaging sales site recorded a 262% increase in orders for recyclable paper bags.
According to recent studies, the world market for paper bags is expected to continue to show strong growth at least until 2023. According to Technavio, the market is expected to grow by 5% per year from 2019 to 2023.
DS Smith argues that compared to non-disposable bags, paper bags would be reused less to be more environmentally friendly. They also have the advantage of being easily recyclable. But for the manufacturer, it is the disposal of single-use bags that will have the greatest environmental impact rather than the choice of bag material.
