Description

A bag (also known regionally as a sack) isacommon tool in the form of a non-rigid container. The use ofbagspredates recorded history, with the earliest bags being nomorethan lengths of animal skin, cotton, or woven plant fibers,foldedup at the edges and secured in that shape with strings of thesamematerial.[1]

Despite their simplicity, bags have been fundamental forthedevelopment of human civilization, as they allow people toeasilycollect loose materials such as berries or food grains, andtotransport more items than could readily be carried in thehands.[1]The word probably has its origins in the Norse wordbaggi,[2] fromthe reconstructed Proto-Indo-European bʰak, but isalso comparableto the Welsh baich (load, bundle), and the Greekβάσταγμα(bástagma, load).

Cheap disposable paper bags and plastic shopping bags areverycommon in the retail trade as a convenience for shoppers, andareoften supplied by the shop for free or for a small fee.Customersmay also take their own shopping bags to some shops.Although paperhad been used for purposes of wrapping and padding inancient Chinasince the 2nd century BC,[3] the first use of paperbags (forpreserving the flavor of tea) in China came during thelater TangDynasty (618–907 AD).[3]