2 May 2026 · 4 min read
What lamination actually costs you
A micron of plastic film makes dark colours richer and rain survivable — and takes your bag out of the paper recycling stream.
Lamination is a very thin plastic film bonded to the printed sheet. It resists scuffing, repels light rain, and makes dark colours considerably deeper than they print unlaminated.
It also makes the bag a mixed material. That complicates kerbside recycling and undermines any recyclability claim printed on the bag itself.
The unlaminated alternative is a water-based varnish. It keeps the bag in the paper stream, feels warmer and more tactile, and costs slightly less. The trade-offs are real: dark solids scuff visibly, and a heavy shower will mark the surface.
For most retailers the sensible resolution is a hybrid. Laminate the flagship bag that customers keep and reuse for years, because durability is itself a sustainability argument. Leave the everyday bag unlaminated, since it is going one journey.
What you should not do is make the decision after the print quote, on price alone. Decide it at specification stage, with both samples in front of you.
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