“The disposable plastic shopping bag is fast being consigned to the dustbin of history,” said Westford Mill’s Alexis Molyneux. “Governments, retailers and consumers are becoming ever more aware of the environmental cost of these products and are taking steps to reduce their use. This has led to an upsurge in the popularity of the traditional cotton shopping bag.”

Molyneux pointed to the recent success of Anya Hindmarch’s ‘I Am Not A Plastic Bag’ cotton shopper, when 20,000 of the bags sold out within an hour of going on sale in 450 Sainsbury’s outlets.

She said: “Garment decorators, promotional companies and exhibition service providers could all tap into this change in consumer behaviour by offering their customers affordable, reusable alternatives to disposable plastic bags. Cotton and reusable non-woven polypropylene shoppers are simple to decorate and highly cost-effective on account of the repeated exposure of the corporate branding or promotional messages they carry. They are environmentally preferable and an ideal promotional medium for businesses of all sizes.”

Westford Mill has responded to the changing trend with its reusable W215 Fashion Shopper in 100% non-woven polypropylene. Other products that are in-step with current market requirements include the 100% cotton W100 Promo Shopper Tote and the W101 Promo Shoulder Tote. There is also the modern W211 Basic Shopper, the W212 Premium Shopper, and the new W215 Fashion Shopper.

Another company to tap into this trend is Hatti Trading, which has launched its new range of ‘bags for life’ to offer consumers a fashionable and ethical alternative to carrier bags. The bags are made from natural cotton or hemp and are produced under Fair Trade conditions, claimed the company.

“Carrier bags can be a great marketing tool for companies as they are not only practical accessories, but branded items that can be taken everywhere the shopper goes,” it said. “The new ‘bags for life’ are available to companies who want to have their logo or message printed onto the bags [to] create the ultimate ethical marketing tool that will be reused time and again.”

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