Bag

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Paper bags with handles Bolsas-de-asa-plana-interior-bolsapubli.jpg
Paper bags with handles

A bag (also known regionally as a sack) is a common tool in the form of a non-rigid container, typically made of cloth, leather, paper or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal skin, cotton, or woven plant fibers, folded up at the edges and secured in that shape with strings of the same material. [1] Bags can be used to carry items such as personal belongings, groceries, and other objects. They comes in various shapes and sizes, often equipped with handles or straps for easier carrying.

Contents

Bags have been fundamental for the development of human civilization, as they allow people to easily collect and carry loose materials, such as berries or food grains, also allowing them to carry more items in their hands. [1]

The word probably has its origins in the Norse word baggi, [2] from the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European bʰak, but is also comparable to the Welsh baich (load, bundle), and the Greek Τσιαντουλίτσα (Chandulícha, load).

Cheap disposable paper bags and plastic shopping bags are very common, varying in size and strength 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 bag(s) to use in shops.

Although paper had been used for wrapping and padding in Ancient China since the 2nd century BC, [3] the first use of paper bags in China (for preserving the flavor of tea) came during the later Tang dynasty (618–907 AD). [3]

History

A fur bag Indian lamb fur bag.jpg
A fur bag

Bags have been attested for thousands of years and have been used by both men and women. Bags have been prevalent as far back as Ancient Egypt. Many hieroglyphs depict males with bags tied around their waists. The Bible mentions pouches, especially with regard to Judas Iscariot carrying one around, holding his personal items. In the 14th century, wary of pickpockets and thieves, many people used drawstring bags, in which to carry their money. These bags were attached to girdles via a long cord fastened to the waist.

The Australian dillybag is a traditional Australian Aboriginal bag generally woven from plant fibres. Dillybags were and are mainly designed and used by women to gather and transport food, and are most commonly found in the northern parts of Australia. [4]

Women also wore more ornate drawstring bags, typically called hamondeys or tasques, to display their social status. The 14th-century handbags evolved into wedding gifts from groom to bride. These medieval pouches were embroidered, often with depictions of love stories or songs. Eventually, these pouches evolved into what were known as a chaneries, which were used for gaming or food for falcons. During the Renaissance, Elizabethan England's fashions were more ornate than ever before. Women wore their pouches underneath the vast array of petticoats and men wore leather pockets or bagges inside their breeches. Aristocrats began carrying swete bagges filled with sweet-smelling material to make up for poor hygiene. [5]

Modern

A tote bag Burberry handbag.jpg
A tote bag
Pouch, Arapaho (Native American), late 19th or early 20th century, Brooklyn Museum Pouch, Arapaho (Native American), Late 19th or early 20th cent., 08.434.jpg
Pouch, Arapaho (Native American), late 19th or early 20th century, Brooklyn Museum

In the modern world, bags are ubiquitous, [1] with many people routinely carrying a wide variety of them in the form of cloth or leather briefcases, handbags, and backpacks, and with bags made from more disposable materials such as paper or plastic being used for shopping or to carry groceries. Today, bags are also used as a fashion statement. 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 bags has a lock. The bag likely predates its inflexible variant, the basket, and usually has the additional advantage of being foldable or otherwise compressible to smaller sizes. On the other hand, baskets, being made of more rigid materials, may be better at protecting their contents.

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, to larger ones used for traveling such as a suitcase. The pockets of clothing are also a kind of bag, built into the clothing for the carrying of suitably small objects.

Environmental aspects

Official waste disposal bag from Basel, Switzerland Garbage bag Basel Bebbisagg.JPG
Official waste disposal bag from Basel, Switzerland

There are environmental concerns regarding use and disposal of plastic bags. Efforts are being taken to control and reduce their use in some European Union countries, including Ireland and the Netherlands. In some cases these 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 €0.50 to €1, and these may replace disposable bags entirely. Sometimes free replacements are offered when the bag wears out. The UK has charged 5p per plastic carrier bag in larger shops since 2015. This trend has spread to some cities in the United States. Recently many countries have banned the use of plastic bags. Paper bags emerge as a great replacement for plastic bags; however, paper bags tend to be more expensive.

A bag may or may not be disposable; however, even a disposable bag can often be used many times, for economic and 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 contents. A bag for packaging a disposable product is often disposed of when empty. Similarly, bags used as receptacles in medical procedures, such as the colostomy bag used to collect waste from a surgically diverted biological system, are typically disposed of as medical waste. Many snack foods, such as pretzels, cookies, and potato chips, are available in disposable single-use sealed bags.

Types of bags

Jute bags (gunny sacks) of coffee Coffee Stacked Bags.jpg
Jute bags (gunny sacks) of coffee
A modern bag for carrying personal belongings Reisetasche fcm.jpg
A modern bag for carrying personal belongings

Other

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backpack</span> Bag carried on ones back

A backpack—also called knapsack, rucksack, pack, booksack, bookbag, haversack or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders; but it can have an external or internal frame, and there are bodypacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tea bag</span> Small sealed bag or packet containing tea leaves

A tea bag or teabag is a small, porous, sealed bag or packet, typically containing tea leaves or the leaves of other herbs, which is immersed in water to steep and make an infusion. Originally used only for tea, they are now made with other tisanes as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zipper</span> Device for binding the edges of an opening of fabric or other flexible material

A zipper, zip, fly, or zip fastener, formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of fabric or other flexible material. Used in clothing, luggage and other bags, camping gear, and many other items, zippers come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors. In 1892, Whitcomb L. Judson, an American inventor from Chicago, patented the original design from which the modern device evolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallet</span> Small, flat case or pouch that is used to carry personal items such as cash

A wallet is a flat case or pouch, often used to carry small personal items such as physical currency, debit cards, and credit cards; identification documents such as driving licence, identification card, club card; photographs, transit pass, business cards and other paper or laminated cards. Wallets are generally made of fabric or leather, and they are usually pocket-sized and foldable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handbag</span> Handled bag used to carry personal items

A handbag, commonly known as a purse in North American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag used to carry personal items. It has also been called a pocketbook in parts of the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic shopping bag</span> Type of shopping bag

Plastic shopping bags, carrier bags, or plastic grocery bags are a type of plastic bag used as shopping bags and made from various kinds of plastic. In use by consumers worldwide since the 1960s, these bags are sometimes called single-use bags, referring to carrying items from a store to a home. However, it is rare for bags to be worn out after single use and in the past some retailers incentivised customers to reuse 'single use' bags by offering loyalty points to those doing so. Even after they are no longer used for shopping, reuse of these bags for storage or trash is common, and modern plastic shopping bags are increasingly recyclable or compostable - at the Co-op for example. In recent decades, numerous countries have introduced legislation restricting the provision of plastic bags, in a bid to reduce littering and plastic pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic bag</span> Type of container made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile

A plastic bag, poly bag, or pouch is a type of container made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, powders, ice, magazines, chemicals, and waste. It is a common form of packaging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shopping bag</span> Non-rigid container designed to carry household shopping items

Shopping bags are medium-sized bags, typically around 10–20 litres in volume, that are used by shoppers to carry home their purchases. Some are intended as single-use disposable products, though people may reuse them for storage or as bin liners, etc.; others are designed as reusable shopping bags.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bin bag</span> Disposable bag used to contain solid waste material

A bin bag, rubbish bag, garbage bag, bin liner, trash bag or refuse sack is a disposable bag used to contain solid waste. Many bags are useful to line the insides of waste containers to prevent the insides of the receptacle from becoming coated in waste material. Most bags today are made out of plastic, and are typically black, white, or green in color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanny pack</span> Small fabric pouch worn like a belt

A waist bag, fanny pack, belt bag, moon bag, belly bag, or bumbag is a small fabric pouch worn like a belt around the waist by use of a strap above the hips that is secured usually with some sort of buckle. The straps sometimes have tri-glide slides, making them adjustable in order to fit properly. It can be considered as a purse worn around the waist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper bag</span> Open-end flexible container made of paper

A paper bag is a bag made of paper, usually kraft paper. Paper bags can be made either with virgin or recycled fibres to meet customers' demands. Paper bags are commonly used as shopping carrier bags and for packaging of some consumer goods. They carry a wide range of products from groceries, glass bottles, clothing, books, toiletries, electronics and various other goods and can also function as means of transport in day-to-day activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messenger bag</span> Bag with a long strap worn across the body

A messenger bag is a type of sack, usually made of cloth. It is worn over one shoulder with a strap that goes across the chest resting the bag on the lower back. While messenger bags are sometimes used by couriers, they are now also an urban fashion icon. Some types of messenger bags are called carryalls. A smaller version is often called a sling bag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disposable product</span> Product designed to be discarded after use

A disposable is a product designed for a single use after which it is recycled or is disposed as solid waste. The term is also sometimes used for products that may last several months to distinguish from similar products that last indefinitely. The word "disposables" is not to be confused with the word "consumables", which is widely used in the mechanical world. For example, welders consider welding rods, tips, nozzles, gas, etc. to be "consumables", as they last only a certain amount of time before needing to be replaced. Consumables are needed for a process to take place, such as inks for printing and welding rods for welding, while disposable products are items that can be discarded after they become damaged or are no longer useful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satchel</span> Bag

A satchel is a bag with a strap, traditionally used for carrying books. The strap is often worn so that it diagonally crosses the body, with the bag hanging on the opposite hip, rather than hanging directly down from the shoulder. The back of a satchel extends to form a flap that folds over to cover the top and fastens in the front. Unlike a briefcase, a satchel is soft-sided.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coin purse</span> Small pouch made for carrying coins

A purse or pouch, sometimes called coin purse for clarity, is a small money bag or pouch, made for carrying coins. In most Commonwealth countries it is known simply as a purse, while "purse" in the United States usually refers to a handbag. An obsolete variant is a porte-monnaie. "Purse" can also be a synonym to bursary, i.e. a monetary prize in a competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tote bag</span> Large, open-topped hand bag

A tote bag is a large, typically unfastened bag with parallel handles that emerge from the sides of its pouch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Bags and Purses</span> Fashion Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Museum of Bags and Purses, was a museum devoted to the history of bags, purses, and their related accessories. Located in Amsterdam's historic central canal belt, the museum's collection included over 5,000 items dating back to the sixteenth-century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toiletry bag</span> Portable container that holds hygiene and toiletry supplies

A toiletry bag is a portable container—usually a pouch with a drawstring or zippered closure—that holds body hygiene and toiletry supplies such as toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss, cotton swabs, deodorant, nail clippers, tweezers, soap, shaving supplies, hairbrush, contact lenses and feminine products. Toiletry bags are most often used for traveling and in living circumstances where permanent shelves and cupboards are unavailable for use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Money bag</span> Bag or sack used to hold money or gold

A money bag is a bag normally used to hold and transport coins and banknotes, often closed with a drawstring. When transported between banks and other institutions, money bags are usually moved in armored cars or money trains. It is a type of currency packaging. Money bags are often portrayed in cartoons and other light popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">String bag</span> Open netted bag

A string bag, net bag, or mesh bag is an open netted bag. Mesh bags are constructed from strands, yarns, or non-woven synthetic material into a net-like structure. String bags are used as reusable shopping bags and as packaging for produce.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chenoune, Farid (2005). Carried Away: All About Bags. Vendome Press. ISBN   9780865651586.
  2. "Språkrådet". Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 Needham, Joseph (1965). Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 4. p. 122. ISBN   9780521058032.
  4. "Dilly Bags". Western Australian Museum. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  5. "The History of Handbags: A Timeline". Handbag Heaven. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.