What Are Bulk Bags Made Of?

March 25, 2020 FAQ, FIBC Bulk Bags

If your business deals with large quantities of materials, you need a reliable and convenient method of storing and transporting them. In that case, look no further than refurbished bulk bags made from woven plastic.

Refurbished bulk bags are sturdy, durable, economical — and they are great for the environment as well. Using refurbished bulk bags help keep plastic out of our landfills, where it would remain for years. The global market has recently picked up on the many advantages of bulk bags — in 2018, the global bulk bag market amounted to about $4.1 billion, and by 2025 that number is expected to climb to about $6.6 billion.

But why are bulk bags made of woven plastic? This article covers the advantages of this material, and how different types of bulk bags are used in various industries.

Why Are Bulk Bags Made of Woven Plastic?

Bulk bags are made of woven plastic fibers — usually a soft thermoplastic material known as polypropylene, though sometimes PVC for extra durability and protection — because of the many advantages they offer:

Lightweight: Woven plastic is lightweight — polypropylene is one of the lightest of commercial plastics, and bulk bags typically weigh only 5 to 7 pounds. The lightness of the material makes the bags user-friendly and convenient for storage and transport of materials.
Strength: Woven plastic is also incredibly strong and dependable. As the fibers interweave over, under and between one another, they create durable, dense layers that perform impressively even with industrial-sized loads. These properties make bulk bags ideal for the storage and transport of goods because they can lift and store between 500 and 4,000 pounds with ease.
Resilience: Another benefit of woven plastic is its resistance to breakdown by many chemicals. Making bulk bags out of woven polypropylene fibers helps improve their lifespans, giving companies many quality uses out of them as long as the bags have the correct safety factor rating.
Durability: Woven plastic is also resistant to shrinkage, stretching, humidity and heat. So even in a hot, demanding environment, woven plastic bulk bags will keep their shape and retain their ability to hold goods safely and effectively.
Watertightness: Woven plastic bags can be specially treated for water-tightness, so they can transport and store goods securely without admitting water that could cause mold or spoilage.
Flexibility: Woven plastic is soft and pliable, so woven plastic bulk bags are user-friendly because of their flexibility. They can fold into compact shapes for storage, so they leave plenty of space for work on the warehouse or factory floor.
Recyclability: Once businesses have used woven plastic bags as long as possible, the bags can be recycled into other materials. Typically, the plastic is cut into small, manageable chunks and then used in new bags or other polypropylene products.

How Woven Plastic Bulk Bags Benefit Each Industry

Woven plastic bulk bags provide benefits to a number of industries, and different types of bulk bags are particularly useful in different applications. Industries commonly use four different types of bulk bags:

Open top bulk bags: Open top bulk bags are cubes made of woven plastic on five sides, with the top entirely open. In industries that need to fill bulk bags manually, open top bulk bags are an excellent choice.
Duffle top bulk bags: Duffle top bulk bags have extra fabric at the top that allows users to open and close the top inlet completely. Duffle top bulk bags are ideal choices in industries where complete coverage of transported and stored materials is essential.
Spout top bulk bags: Spout top bulk bags are similar to duffle top bulk bags except that they have spouts in place of closable fabric. These bags are ideal for industries that need to fill bulk bags quickly, efficiently and with minimal spills.
Baffled bulk bags: Baffled bulk bags are similar to open top bulk bags — they are open at the top — but they have additional sturdy interior linings. These lining panels allow the bag to maintain its fixed cubic shape no matter what material it contains or how heavy that material is. Baffled bulk bags are ideal for industrial applications in which bulk bags will be stacked or packed tightly into a small space.

Below are a few of the industries in which these different styles of woven plastic bulk bags are beneficial:

Agriculture: Bulk bags are incredibly useful in the agricultural industry. Many agricultural products, like seeds, grain and feed, require reliable methods of storage and transport. Bulk bags fill this role efficiently and reliably, and chemical-free food-grade bags are perfect for agricultural products intended for human or animal consumption, such as flours, corn and rice. Spout top bags make pouring easy, and duffle top bags are great options for providing extra protection for consumable products.
Construction: The construction industry often needs to transport and store bulky materials such as sand, gravel, cement, bricks, lumber, nails and other supplies. Bulk bags make an excellent fit for the construction industry because of their strength, durability and safety. Open top bags are great options when bulky materials may not quite fit into the bag space, and baffled bags are smart options when materials need to be stacked for storage or transport.
Food processing: The food processing industry makes use of many materials such as flours, grains, sugars, beans and other dry bulk products like potatoes and onions. Food-grade, chemical-free bulk bags make excellent transport and storage vessels for these items — and for pet food products as well. Spout top bags make pouring dry bulk products easy, open top bags allow for maximum ventilation, and duffle top bulk bags offer extra protection for food products.
Mining: Mining operations need to transport valuable materials such as coal and metal ores, as well as process materials and byproducts like gravel, rock and soil. Durable, flexible bulk bags offer excellent options for the mining industry. Open tops allow for overfilling at the top of the bag, and baffled bulk bags make stacking and storing mining products convenient and easy.

How to Choose the Best Bulk Bag for Your Business

Choosing the best bulk bag for your business is often easy and intuitive. Assess the materials your business handles and what some of its specific storage and transport needs are. You can then determine the style of bulk bag that will best fit your company’s requirements.

Here are some of the factors you may want to evaluate when deciding on bulk bags:

Extra protection needs: When you’re choosing bulk bags, consider whether the products you work with require additional protection. If so, you may want to consider duffle top bags or baffled bags. Duffle top bags allow for complete, secure top closure, and baffled bags provide extra, sturdy side reinforcement for sensitive loads.
Filling needs: Your bag-filling requirements will also come into play. Think about whether your operations require extra speed and accuracy in filling bulk bags. You should also consider whether minimizing product losses due to spillage is a high priority. If so, consider investing in spout top bags that can direct the flow of product for a more efficient filling process all around.
Load size and shape: When you’re choosing bulk bags, you should also consider the size and shape of the loads they are likely to carry. If loads are bulky and irregularly shaped, think about open top bags, which allow for more flexibility by letting products stick out or slightly overfill the bag as needed.
Stacking and space-filling needs: Consider your stacking and space-filling needs as well. If your space is cramped or your product volumes are high, your operations require that your bags stack in efficient cubes with minimal space. If so, consider baffled bags, since their sturdy reinforcing panels allow the bags to maintain regular cubic shapes that stack easily.

Partner With Bulk Bag Reclamation for All Your Bulk Bag Needs

When you’re looking for bulk bags for your business, partner with Bulk Bag Reclamation. Buying refurbished bulk bags helps your company save money, improve its bottom line and gain quality, reliable bulk bags to keep operations running smoothly. Best of all, you’ll know you’re keeping plastic out of the earth’s landfills — doing your part for the environment and our planet’s habitability.