The name “Baggies” is actually a registered trademark for a specific brand name of the bags, though over the years the term baggie has been loosely applied to encompass all small plastic storage sacks which are commonly used in a number of applications to hold variable goods and items.
Baggies – Four Star Plastics
Baggie usage extends to food preparation, storage, electronics, automotive, pharmaceutical, packing and shipping, retail and a plethora of other industries, all who use them in daily operations to maintain organizational standards as well as protect small parts from environmental factors such as moisture or chemical contamination. Medical bags are commonly used to this extent and to promote sterilization of instruments, equipment, bedding and garments in hospitals and laboratory facilities.
Perhaps the most common use of baggies, however, is in the consumer household where they fulfill many of the same roles including storage and food preparation. Often described as small plastic bags as common sizing includes one quart and one gallon, petite sizing is not a prerequisite for baggies which are also available in industrial sizes. No matter the size, baggies can easily be suited to any application as the color, size, shape and style is highly variable and additional options such as protective treatments and printing allow manufacturers to customize products as needed.
Baggies – Four Star Plastics
Baggies are created for many different purposes and as such are necessarily diverse in material and physical construction. Plastic is a generalized term used synonymously with polymer. These materials used to create baggies consist of a long chain of repeating monomers held together by chemically formed covalent bonds.
Natural, synthetic or organic, polymers are a broad grouping of diversified materials derived from resin processing. Baggie manufacturers may produce polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene on-site or purchase pre-fabricated materials as facilities will allow. Although casting, winding, and sheet extrusion are commonly used to produce plastic film, blown film extrusion is the most popular method for producing plastic bags and baggies. In this process polymer resins are melted into a viscous fluid before being extruded or pushed through a die.
A stream of cool air flows through the middle of the die creating a tube of expanding plastic. A uniform airflow ensures that the walls of the tube, and thus the bags are of even thickness. When the necessary length and thickness are achieved the bubble is burst and the bag collapses for further processing such as curing or printing.
Secondary processes such as heat-sealing, shrink-wrapping and stitching are also commonly used to produce seams and seals along the edges of a baggie in order to improve its potential for containment.