We recommend uncoated paper as the most sustainable material and here’s why.

Easy Recycling: All our counter bags and twist handle bags are 100% recyclable and biodegradable. You can include the ‘Recycle’ logo in your artwork, or we can add it to the base of your bag during the proofing stage.

The Luxury All-Paper Bag: Traditionally, luxury bag ropes should be removed before recycling the bag. We now offer knitted paper handles, crafted from rigid paper threads. These look and feel very much like the traditional ropes but allow the entire bag to be recycled in one go. This range is relatively new, carries a premium cost, and offers a more limited choice of rope colours, so we recommend it specifically for projects with the most stringent recyclability requirements

Design Note: To remain 100% recyclable, these bags must remain unlaminated.

Highest Environmental Standard: Use FSC® certified uncoated paper available in our counter bag, twist handle bag and rope handle bag range.

Since becoming FSC® certified in 2023, Templecoombe has prioritised the use of responsibly sourced paper across our product range. When used, we actively encourage our clients to feature the FSC product logo on their branded bags, providing a transparent and definitive link from forest to consumer. This certification offers a guarantee of traceability and sustainability, allowing you and your customers total confidence in the provenance.

Templecoombe Certificate

The following ranges are available made from FSC certified paper; printed twist handle bags, printed tape handle bags, printed rope handle bags & printed counter bags. Please ask our team at enquiry stages.

Understanding FSC

The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests.

Navigating FSC® certifications and understanding it, can be complicated. To ensure your packaging is fully compliant, our team is here to guide you. Here are a few helpful pointers to answer the most common questions regarding FSC® claims.

What do the different FSC claims actually mean?

There are three FSC labels: FSC Mix, FSC 100% and FSC Recycled. Use this helpful guide that explains what they are and what they mean

Which FSC logo should I use on my printed bag?

To ensure your packaging meets global sustainability standards, using the correct FSC® logo is essential. Most of our products fall under the FSC Mix claim and we will ensure you use the correct product logo.

How it works:

• The Approval Process: Every design featuring an FSC logo must be approved by our certifying body to verify the “Chain of Custody” for your specific paper.
• Logo Options: The logo is available in landscape or portrait, and in positive or “reversed out” formats.
• Traceability: Every logo includes a unique license code. As Templecoombe Ltd is part of a group scheme, your logo will reflect that specific group certification.

I am designing the artwork for our bag, can you send me the artwork file with the correct FSC® logo?

If you are designing your own artwork, please request the logo files from us so we can provide the correct version. Please note there are stipulations regarding the logo’s size and spacing in relation to other print and the colours it can be printed ‘in’ and ‘on’. If you need help with this please ask our team. Otherwise, we can add the product logo for you on the base of the bag.

What colour(s) can the FSC® logo be printed on my bag?

Standard colours are green Pantone 626C (CMYK 100C 60M 100Y 20K), white (negative), or black. However, you can use a different single colour provided it is on a permitted solid background and matches one of the colours already on your bag. Other considerations and rules apply, so our team will manage this during the proofing stage to ensure you are compliant when using the FSC registered product logo.

My organisation is FSC certified; can I use my own logo on my printed bag?

Yes. We just need to sign a Joint Logo Printing Agreement. Your certifying body will then need to verify the Chain of Custody for the specific project and likely sign off the proof depending on your agreement.

In 2019, we launched a sustainable 150gsm waste based paper bag option, available on the paper twist handle and the rope handle ranges. This paper has a natural look, slightly lighter than the brown kraft paper, with almost a cream fleck finish.

Agricultural waste contains all parts of the plant that are released with the processing of agricultural crops like corn, rice, grain, and sugarcane and are not suitable for human nutrition, like stems and leaves. This consists of about 80% of the harvest. The food industry only uses a small part of the agricultural crop. Often, only the seeds, fruits, roots and juices are used, which is about 20% of the plant. Because the vast majority of the plant is not of value to the food industry, the other 80% is called agricultural waste or agricultural residue

This paper recycles waste, performs well in durability and print, looks great and is fully recyclable. It really does tick every box when thinking about a circular economy.

Templecoombe Ltd took the lead early on. In May 2022, after the plastic packaging tax was introduced in April that year, we switched to supplying all our standard printed plastic bags to be manufactured from 30-80% recycled film, instead of virgin film. These are 100% recyclable at designated collection points.

The aim is to encourage customers to buy plastic with a percentage of recycled content in it by making the virgin film option more expensive; thus encouraging better collection of plastic waste and more recycling.

The more the recycled content in the plastic the less ‘perfect’ the film and print, however over time this has become the ‘norm’ and everyone generally accepts this is a step we have to take and a compromise we have to make; for sustainability and the drive towards a circular economy.

We offer compostable bags made from potato starch and cornstarch.

The potato starch bag will completely disintegrate into carbon dioxide, water and biomass in standard composting conditions. The composting process starts after contact with microorganisms, when humidity level is up to 80% and temperatures over 25°C. Bags are certified “OK COMPOST” by EU standard EN 13432 & International standard ASTM D6400-99. The bags are intended for composting, but if thrown away will degrade. Inks are all water based however to be safely and strictly certified the ink cover needs to be no more than 50% and thickness no more than 69 micron.

The corn starch is similar to above bio-degrading with the help of microorganisms over time. This film is EU certified as OK Compostable also.

Circular economies, the current direction for Government sustainability policies in the UK and EU and further afield, prioritise continuous reuse and high-value recovery through recycling. Whilst compostable film has all the above benefits, when used and analysed in the context of a circular economy it becomes complicated.

Compostable films are designed for single-use and degrade over time, making them a poor fit for packaging intended for long shelf lives or repeated utility. They can also cause problems if mixed with film for recycling by affecting the integrity and performance of the recycled film.

In a circular economy, compostable film is recommended for applications where it diverts food waste from landfills, improves organic waste collection, or prevents non-compostable contamination. So, it is best suited for scenarios where packaging is heavily soiled or inextricably mixed with organic matter, and traditional recycling is unfeasible. As a general rule of thumb this is not the case with carrier bags; hence, we tend to promote bags made from recycled film as our sustainable standard. However, we do understand that some customers still advocate for compostable film due to their fear of litter and their lack of faith in the UK’s recycling facilities and setup. Most councils do not recycle plastic bags and because many will end up in rubbish and not recycled, the situation is complex.

Upcoming “Simpler Recycling” laws in the UK will force most councils to collect flexible plastics and plastic bags from all households by March 31, 2027, so we await the impact.

In April 2025 we launched our recycled cotton bags and proactively transitioned our most popular long-handled cotton bag range to be made entirely from recycled material (70% cotton & 30% recycled polyester). Whilst initially offering the natural bag, there are now multiple colours available to choose from. Inks are all water based and the production facility uses solar power.