Welcome to The Plastic Bag Museum
Welcome to the Plastic Bag Museum, a museum solely dedicated to bags made of plastic. The museum’s collection focuses on single use carrier bags dating from as early as the 1970s to present day bags. As single use plastic carrier bags begin to disappear, due to sustainability issues and their environmental impact, we aim to collect and digitise these bags as a piece of social history for all to see. We are based in Glasgow, Scotland.
Frequently asked Questions
What can plastic bags tell us about the past?
Bags give us an insight into social history, from shops we lost in recessions that no longer exist on the high street, through to how prevalent the tobacco industry was. Bags also can illustrate to us they were used for much more than branded shops, for example political marches or big events which produced bags to go along with their themes. Bags are also an exceptional example of graphic design through the decades. The once prevalence and then decline in plastic bag consumption also speaks volumes about public concern for the environment.
Why did you make a plastic bag museum?
Many people around the world collect plastic bags, with collections exhibited notably in Stuttgart, Germany (55,000 bags!). There is currently not a lot of bag discourse here in the UK, and having collected for a while the museum was finally ready to be born! The Plastic Bag Museum believes a lot of people will appreciate it’s collection, to remember times gone by and enjoy interesting designs.
Where have the bags come from?
Most of our bags have been purchased and collected, and some kindly donated by collectors.
How do you look after the bags?
Each bag is stored lying flat in acid free tissue paper in the dark. It is very important to keep the bags away from sunlight, as this will quickly degrade the plastic and fade the quality of their designs.
Can I donate to the museum?
Yes! We accept bag donations of any kind as long as they are plastic carrier bags. We are not currently in a position to accept monetary donations.
We are also interested in expanding an online database of bags. This means, if you are a private collector and would like to share images of your bags with us but not donate them physically, we would still be very grateful! We will upload these images to the website under a “Private Collection” gallery, without a physical donation of the bags. This means anyone with an interest can view the bags online. Collectors can remain anonymous too.
What are the museums future plans?
We hope to continue collecting and expand our online database of bags, with the goal being a large scale exhibition of our bags here in Scotland. We hope you can view our bags in person very soon!