New Delhi: World Paper Bag Day is observed on July 12 every year to spread awareness about plastic pollution and encourage the use of environment-friendly alternatives. Use of paper bags, which are easily recyclable, will help reduce plastic waste that takes years to decompose, causing environment pollution.
Francis Wolle, an American inventor, created the first paper bag machine in 1852. Later in 1871, Margaret E. Knight introduced another machine to generate flat-bottom paper bags and rose to fame as “The mother of the grocery bag”. Better paper bag designs and manufacturing processes were developed over time by inventors Charles Stilwell and Walter Deubener in the years 1883 and 1912 respectively.
The significance of Paper Bag Day is to discourage the use of plastic bags and generate consciousness about how harmful they are to the environment as it takes thousands of years to decompose. However, paper bags are biodegradable and an important cornerstone to preserving our planet.
The theme for Paper Bag Day this year is, “If You’re ‘fantastic’, Do Something ‘dramatic’ To Cut The ‘Plastic’, Use ‘Paper Bags’.”
The idea behind this theme is to dissuade people from using plastic bags because of the extent of harm they cause to our nature and encourage them to shift towards eco-friendly products in order to save the environment for future generations.
