What is cellophane?

"Cellophane" was originally a patented name for a clear film derived from plant material - cellulose. Since the 1960's however, the word cellophane has become quite generic and is now used to refer to any film that is crisp and clear.

Just as a tissue is called a "kleenex" and a vacuum cleaner a "hoover", our crystal clear, crispy, resealable bags are "cello" or "cellophane".

In actual fact, our bags are made of Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene, or "BOPP" for short.

Things have come a long way since the invention of cellophane... 

BOPP bags are food grade. Nothing leaches in or out of the material so food is never tainted with a plastic smell or taste.

This also means our bags are acid free / archival, which, along with their clarity, makes them the ideal product for artists and photographers looking for professional gallery quality packaging or magazine and stamp collectors looking to protect their valuable collections.

Our resealable cello bags have an invisible side seam. There is no ugly stitched or overlap style seam, unlike the cellulose cellophane bags.

BOPP film is waterproof. You'll be thankful for this attribute when you're running a market stall and it starts to rain! You can even heat seal our bags if you need them to be airtight.

Our cello bags are crystal clear and never lose their glossy look. BOPP is also a far stronger material than the old fashioned Cellophane.

What about the environment?

It is considered that the manufacturing process for BOPP and cellophane are no better than each other. Wikipedia has more information.

BOPP bags are recyclable with the number "5" as its resin identification code. Check with your local council to see if you can put them in your recycling bin. They can be recycled along with any other "scrunchable" plastics via your local supermarket (where they offer the service).

It is true that old fashioned cellophane is biodegradable, and that's great for certain uses, but it may also prove a problem. By virtue of the fact they degrade, they unfortunately yellow and become brittle with age or UV. They also shrink and crinkle when exposed to moisture.