Amongst the wide range of sustainable materials that we offer for our bespoke products is something of a miracle, eco-friendly fabric called non-woven polypropylene (NWPP).
It is particularly popular as a material for making reusable bags due to its many positive characteristics and eco-credentials.
What is non-woven polypropylene?
Non-woven polypropylene is a man-made plastic resin that is created by taking thermoplastic polymers and spinning them, using heat and air, into long, fluffy threads. These threads are then pressed together between hot rollers to form a solid yet flexible material.
This fabric has similar properties to canvas and can be used to create a range of products with one of its most common applications being in medical grade face masks.
But we mainly use it to make reusable bags.
What are the advantages of non-woven polypropylene bags?
A non-woven polypropylene bag can be easily identified by its visible cross-hatched pattern and is most commonly used to make reusable shopping bags. This is due to the fact that many of its qualities make it the ideal fabric for bags that are used to carry groceries or other shopped for goods.
They are great checkout bags for supermarkets, department stores and homeware shops.
Non-woven polypropylene is a strong and lightweight material which means that it can withstand large amounts of weight whilst still being comfortable for the wearer, and it is water-resistant so the contents of the bag will stay dry even on the rainiest of days.
It’s also easy to customise and a great fabric to print on which is why businesses so often opt for NWPP bags to display their branding or messages.
Are non-woven polypropylene bags sustainable?
Although non-woven PP bags are made from plastic, they are more eco-friendly than single-use plastic bags because they can be used multiple times. As a result, they are a less wasteful option.
In fact, a UK study found that a NWPP bag only needs to be used 11 times for it to have lower global warming potential than lightweight plastic bags. This is easily achieved thanks to non-woven PP being durable and easy to clean so it has a long lifespan.
Furthermore, the production of non-woven PP bags only involves one process which means that it doesn’t require as much energy as other fabric bags that need to undergo multiple processes.
Non-woven PP bags can also be recycled and made from recycled materials so they do form part of the circular economy by keeping waste out of landfills and used materials in circulation for as long as possible.
We supply a range of non-woven polypropylene bags for all your business needs. We can work closely with you to design bespoke, low-cost NWPP bags to replace your plastic carrier bags and take your business to the next level.
Learn more about our experience with non-woven PP bags by taking a look at some of our case studies.