Carrier Bag Group

The Carrier Bag Group is an association of trading companies and manufacturers. The group was founded in 1970 as the Swedish (later Nordic) development group for test methods for carrier bags.

The aim of the Carrier Bag Group is to support both the retail trade and consumers in the matter of product safety for carrier bags. This is achieved by developing and establishing test methods for determining the carrying capacity of plastic and paper carrier bags and for carrier bags for multiple use.

Representatives of the Carrier Bag Group's member companies meet regularly to discuss ongoing activities, test methods and other topical industrial issues. The Carrier Bag Group is funded by its member companies, which jointly finance its activities.

Testing carrier bags

Is your carrier bag strong enough? A tested and approved carrier bag guarantees that the consumer gets a bag that won't break on the way home from the store. The testing methods differ for plastic and paper carrier bags and there is also a method for testing multiple use carrier bags. If the bag meets the specified requirements, it can be labelled with a quality mark. This mark is only found on bags that have been tested and approved by RISE.

The quality mark means that the bag:

• has been tested and approved
• will withstand being lifted and put down on a hard surface at least 20 times with the weight specified by the quality mark
• will withstand the most common stresses during its lifespan, which corresponds to 1 time/week for one year (50 times) (only for multiple use carrier bags)

The testing methods for carrier bags have been developed at RISE in association with the Carrier Bag Group, an association of trade organisations, FMCG companies and carrier bag manufacturers. The test method is based on the European standard (SS-EN 13 590) for single use carrier bags. The test method for multiple use carrier bags is based on existing, proven standards but adapted for use for multiple carrier bags.