Apple granted patent for an environmentally friendly paper bag

Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,259,616) for an environmentally friendly paper bag. Among other things, the tech giant sees them being used at its retail stores.

Here’s Apple’s summary of the invention: “Embodiments of the present invention include a paper bag that includes a bag container formed of white paper with at least 60% post-consumer content. The white paper may be formed of solid bleached sulfate. The bag may have a reinforcement insert adhered to its interior, which may extend across and strengthen a fold of the bag container. 

“Embodiments of the present invention include a paper bag that includes a bag container formed of paper with a top edge including a notch, and a bag handle formed of paper. Ends of the bag handle may extend through the notch and may be fixed to the bag container. In the absence of an applied force on the bag handle, when the bag is in an upright orientation the bag handle may droop below the top edge of the bag container so that at least 90% of the bag handle is below the top edge of the bag container. The bag handle may be formed of paper fibers knitted in an 8-stitch circular-knit pattern, and may have a diameter of at least 6.5 millimeters. 

“Embodiments of the present invention include a paper bag that includes a bag container formed of paper with a collar about its opening, where the collar is formed by portions of the bag container folded over about the opening. The collar may include a corrugated cardboard collar reinforcement insert between the folded-over portions of the bag container.”