What do the six markings on Woolworths paper bags actually mean?

The beauty of a paper bag used to be its simplicity, but today they’re covered in a collage of symbols and advice. When it comes to Woolworths paper bags, an average bag has at least six key pieces of information on it.

But what on earth do they all mean?

Woolworths logo and recycling claims

1. The most obvious symbol is of course the massive green Woolworth’s logo, which blends together a large W with fresh pieces of produce. 2. But underneath it there’s a claim that 85 percent of the bag is made from recycled paper.

Surprisingly all recycled paper isn’t equal. For instance the claim can apply to paper made from fallen wood chips and sawdust when logs are sawn, adding value to trees felled by logging companies.

But when it comes to Woolworths bags the company has assured Yahoo, only post-consumer recycled paper is used.

Four little letters on Woolworths bags

3. Woolworths bags made in Australia display that claim boldly on the side of the bag, but with those made overseas, you’ll find that information displayed underneath.

4. Those made in Australia can be marked with four little letters you may not be familiar with — PEFC. While those made overseas carry the FSC logo.

Both are certification schemes meant to ensure the trees have been sourced sustainably, but conservationists argue there are key differences between the two. FSC is the mark of the international Forest Stewardship Council and it ensures paper with its mark does not harm populations of endangered species like koalas.

PEFC stands for Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, a program that certifies high quality sustainable timber but also products from controversial state government logging agencies in Tasmania and NSW.

When it comes to Woolworths bags, it assured Yahoo News the timber used to make its PEFC paper bags isn’t going to harm Aussie wildlife.

“All virgin paper used in Woolworths' Australian made bags comes from pine plantations — none are sourced from native or regrowth forests,” it said.

Why is Woolworths still using PEFC paper?

When Yahoo revealed that Woolworths had switched from FSC to PEFC in 2021, the company responded saying it was “working towards FSC certification” and that it expected “to offer our customers Australian-made FSC paper bags in the future”.

Three years on, the company has struggled to ensure all of its bags are FSC certified. It puts the problem down to the decision to remove a 15 cent plastic bag, as this led to a need for more paper bags than it had anticipated.

“While the vast majority of our paper bags are FSC certified, a small percentage remain PEFC certified,” the company told Yahoo.

“We’re working closely with our remaining PEFC manufacturers to support them to become FSC certified.”

Recycling logos on Woolworths bags

5. There’s a green logo on the side of bags that most of us associate with recycling. Sometimes called the Mobius Loop, the symbol indicates the product can be recycled. But it doesn’t always mean it can be placed outside for curbside collection.

In the case of Woolworths bags, as long as they are not spoiled by spilled food or other contaminants, you’re fine to place them in your recycling bin.

6. There’s another logo you might notice if you flip the bag upside down and that’s the ARL recycling logo. This stands for Australasian Recycling Logo, which is a scheme designed to remove consumer confusion in Australia and New Zealand.

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In the case of the Woolworths bags, the logo is filled in rather than empty. This means the handles don’t need to be removed before it’s placed in your recycling bin.

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