From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.jpg/180px-Militärbrotbeutel_M1931_(German_bread_bag).jpg)
German military bread bag
A bag (also known as a
sack) is
a non-rigid
or semi-rigid container, made of
paper,
cloth,
plastic,
leather,
or some other flexible material.
A bag is used for
packaging
and/or carrying items. For the latter a bag may have one or two
handles;
a
shoulder bag
has a strap to carry it on the
shoulder
(the bag is either carried on the side of the shoulder carrying
it, or the other side). A
rucksack
has straps to carry it on the back. There is also be a string
bag, with two strings which go over the shoulder and can be
used as the fastening as well.
A bag may be closable by a
zipper,
snap fastener,
etc., or simply by folding (e.g. in the case of a paper bag).
Sometimes a
money
bag or travel bag has a
lock.
Sachets
may be fabric bags that are filled with
pot pourri
and tied off with
ribbons.
A bag may or may not be
disposable;
however, even a disposable bag can often be used many times,
not only for economic but also for environmental reasons. On
the other hand there may be logistic or hygienic reasons to use
a bag only once. For example, a
garbage bag
is often disposed of with its content. A bag for packaging a
disposable product is often disposed of when it is empty.
An empty bag may or may not be very light and foldable to a
small size. If it is, this is convenient for carrying it to the
place where it is needed, such as a shop, and for storage of
empty bags.
Bags vary from small ones, like
purses
(e.g. as an alternative to putting small objects in
pockets
of
clothing)
to large ones for use in
traveling
like a
suitcase.
Cheap
disposable
paper bags and
plastic shopping bags
are very common in the retail trade as a convenience for
shoppers,
and are often supplied by the shop for free or for a small
fee.
Customers may also take their own shopping bags to the shop.
The word probably has its origins in the
Norse
word baggi[1].
Although paper had been used for purposes of wrapping and
padding in
ancient China
since the 2nd century BC,[1]
the first use of paper bags (for preserving the flavor of
tea) in
China came during the later
Tang Dynasty
(618-907
AD).[1]
There are environmental concerns
regarding use and disposal of plastic shopping and trash bags.
Efforts are being taken to control and reduce their use in some
European Union
countries, including
Ireland
and the
Netherlands.
In some cases the cheap bags are taxed so the customer must pay
a fee where they may not have done previously. Sometimes heavy
duty reusable plastic and fabric bags are sold, typically
costing 0.5 to 1, and these may replace disposable bags
entirely. Sometimes free replacements are offered when the bag
wears out. A notable exception to this trend is the
UK,
where disposable plastic bags are still freely available and
are dominant.
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References
-
^
a
b
Needham, Volume 4, 122.
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See also
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