Paper shopping bags may seem like the obvious sustainable choice, but what happens before and after the bag reaches the checkout matters too.
This is according to Traderbag, which began supplying shopping bags to major clothing brands in 2025 and currently supplies millions of bags a year to the fashion sector.
The idea that using paper automatically means damaging forests overlooks how the material can be sourced and produced, according to Traderbag managing director Daniel Cherry.
“The key question is where the paper comes from. Responsible paper producers use managed commercial forests where trees are grown as a renewable crop,” says Cherry.
“The message shouldn’t be ‘don’t use paper because you’re killing trees’. It should be: use responsibly sourced paper efficiently, reuse it where possible and recycle it when you’re finished.”
Traderbag works closely with local paper producers, including Sappi, with the company arguing that the sustainability and performance of a paper bag start with the quality and provenance of its raw material.
The company’s directors recently visited Sappi’s Ngodwana operations, including Ngodwana Energy, in which Sappi has a 30% stake.
The facility uses biomass recovered from surrounding plantations and screened waste from the mill to generate electricity, with surplus power exported to the national grid.
Water management is another part of the paper production process that Traderbag highlights when considering sustainability.
“Paper production does use water, but the important question is how that water is sourced, managed, reused and returned,” says Cherry.
According to Traderbag, Sappi mills can recycle and reuse water multiple times and have reduced water withdrawal.
The company says these considerations form part of a broader view of packaging sustainability, where the focus extends beyond the finished bag to the processes and resources involved in producing it.
For retailers, environmental credentials are only useful if packaging can also perform its practical function.
“A sustainable bag is no good to a retailer if they run out of stock or it doesn’t perform,” says Cherry.
Traderbag combines its paper products with forecasting, stockholding, custom sizing and direct-to-store distribution, aiming to make packaging supply more predictable for retailers.
The company says FSC certification also gives retailers a way to substantiate sustainability claims through a traceable chain of custody, linking the material from the responsibly managed forest through the paper producer and converter to the finished product.
Traderbag sees fashion as a natural market for paper shopping bags, with clothing and other fashion purchases generally being dry and relatively lightweight.
The bag itself can also become part of the customer experience, continuing to display a retailer’s branding after the purchase.
But Cherry says choosing a paper bag should not simply come down to selecting the thickest or heaviest option.
“The bag’s purpose is the starting point. Size, construction, handles and reinforcement all need to be considered,” he says.
“The goal is to find the most efficient combination that delivers the required strength, appearance and performance without unnecessary material or cost.”
That means the amount of material used is part of the sustainability conversation too. A bag needs to be strong enough for its intended purpose, without adding material that does not serve a practical function.
For Traderbag, the sustainability of paper packaging is ultimately about the entire journey of the product rather than the material alone.
Responsible sourcing, efficient manufacturing, appropriate bag design, local production and the ability to reuse or recycle the finished product all form part of the equation.
As retailers continue to scrutinise their packaging choices, the paper shopping bag is becoming less about simply choosing an alternative material and more about understanding how that material is sourced, produced and used.
The company is based in Durban and supplies retailers across South Africa, with its bags manufactured locally in Johannesburg and Durban.
Its supply chain is South African, with paper sourced from local producers and the finished bags made using FSC-approved paper and water-based inks.
Retailers can choose from custom sizing, different handle options and high-quality print finishes, allowing the packaging to be tailored to individual products and brand requirements.
