In 1852, American Francis Waller invented the first paper bag making machine. In 1871, Margaret E. Knight invented and patented a machine for making flat-bottomed paper bags, becoming the first woman to receive a patent. In 1883, Charles Stilwell improved the flat-bottomed paper bag machine. In 1889, the kraft paper pulp manufacturing method was introduced, optimizing the material of paper bags.
In 1912, American grocer Walter Debner and his wife invented a paper shopping bag with handles. By the 1950s, the production cost of paper bags was already very low, and retailers often provided them free of charge.
In the late 1970s, the introduction of plastic bags sparked a fierce battle for the shopping bag market, impacting the paper bag market with its advantages of being lighter, stronger, and cheaper. The introduction of paper shopping bags to the Chinese market after the implementation of the new corporate identity at Shanghai Huating Isetan in the 1990s marked a turning point in the history of paper shopping bags in China. In recent years, with the rise of global environmental awareness and the enactment of plastic bans, the use of paper bags has increased again.
