Sealing & resealing bags

Buy from an extensive range of sealable and resealable bags, including grip seal bags, zip seal bags and self-seal bags.

Sealing and resealing bags are...

• Reusable polythene bags that can be opened and closed
• Designed for multiple use - open and close as many time as you like!
• Bags that can be sealed by a variety of means, including self-seal bags

Self-seal bags are...

• Manufactured with an integral sealing strip, located along the bag opening, to allow for easy opening and closure
• Also known as minigrip bags, mini-grip bags, gripper bags, grippa bags and resealable bags
• Ideal for securing bag contents and avoiding leakage or contamination
• Available in a variety styles to suit a range of uses, from storage bags to carrier bags
• Available in clear polythene with or without labels - to make a note of bag contents and help retrieval
• Available in variety of coloured opaque polythene - e.g. red, green, blue or black - to help with item storage and colour-coded retrieval
• Also available in more specialist polythene, from heavy duty grip seal bags to anti-static grip seal bags
• Sometimes referred to as zip seal bags. However…

Zip seal bags are…

• Manufactured with a metal zip fastener or zip seal, making them…
• A more premium bag than a grip seal bag
• Used for storing important documents, such as art portfolios or school project work
• Ideal for use as a wallet for conference delegates or for exhibition attendees
• Also known as zip bags, ziplite bags or zipper bags

Sealable, resealable and self-sealable - there's more than one way to seal a bag

Sealable bags

Any plastic bag that can be sealed shut can be described as a sealable bag.

The sealing process can be carried out by any means, including a bag tie or clip (e.g. a sandwich bag with a twist tie), an adhesive strip, either external (e.g. sealing any bag with cellotape) or internal (e.g. as with a mailing bag), an internal self-seal strip (e.g. as with a minigrip bag) or by heat sealing with an external sealer (e.g. as with vacuum bags).

So any plastic bag that is designed with a seal can be called a sealable bag. However, not all sealable bags can be called resealable bags.

Resealable bags

Only bags where the seal can be reused can be classified as resealable bags. Some bags, such as mailing bags, feature a single-use seal that can't be reused without tearing open the bag itself and thus rendering it useless. Mailing bags are a very convenient way of sending post - thanks to their integral adhesive seal - but, because their seal is strong enough to keep the mail contents secude until the bag is cut or ripped open by the recipient, then a mailing bag is not a resealable bag, although it is a sealable bag.

Self-seal bags

Not every sealable bag be called a self-seal bag. This monicker is reserved only for bags that can be sealed closed without using any external sealing accessory - including adhesive tape, clips or bag ties - and without the use of a heat sealer to melt the polythene and seal the bag.

The most popular types of resealable bags are grip seal bags. These bags, which are sometimes known as mini-grip bags, gripper bags or grippa bags, feature an integral seal that runs along the top of the bag.

The seal contains a male (single) and female (double) ridge of plastic on opposite sides of the bag opening. When the seal is squeezed gently between thumb and forefinger, the male ridge fits snuggly into the female ridges to close the bag. This seal protects the contents of the bag from moisture, dirt and other external contaminants.

It can be used over and over again, which means the grip seal bag is a sealable bag, a self-seal bag and a resealable bag.

This handy bag is available in a huge range of sizes, made from clear, coloured or black polythene, with or without labels to make handy notes on the bag and with specialist options including antistatic bags - to keep electrical components safe - and specimen bags with accompanying record cards - perfect for hospitals, doctors' surgeries and police stations.

Methods of sealing plastic bags

The most common ways of sealing a polythene bag are by:

Sealing the bag with ties or clips. Fasten any bag shut with a plastic clip or twist shut with a tie. A popular method of sealing food bags for domestic use (e.g. clip a packet of frozen peas shut before placing in freezer, twist a sandwich bag closed for a packed lunch etc.)

Sealing the bag with a built-in adhesive flap. Some bags such as mailing bags are manufactured with a flap opening, where the flap contains a built-in adhesive strip attached along its length. Simply remove the cover from the adhesive and press the flap down to seal.

Sealing the bag with a built-in grip or zip seal. A range of bags are available with an integral strip that seals shut either by squeezing the seal together (grip seal) or pulling closed (zip seal). Very handy for regular use as they can be used over and over, these bags also provide great protection from moisture, dirt etc.

Sealing the bag with a heat sealer. If you really want to seal your bag shut tight this is the method for you. A heat sealer will bond two pieces of plastic when placed together in the sealer and the sealer is closed shut. A one-time seal, this method of sealing bags is popular for vacuum packing food.

Where to buy sealing and resealing bags

Resealable bag manufacturers and suppliers include:

Ziplock Bags
The home of ziplock bags online, this website features everything you need on ziplock, zipper, ziplite, grip seal and all self-seal bags. With a huge range of products at great prices and free delivery within the UK, this is the number one ziplock website out there.
www.ziplockbags.co.uk

Self Seal Bags
Specialists in self-seal bags, this website stocks a huge range of resealable bags from grip seal to mini grip and ziplock to ziplite. Packed with loads of useful information to help you choose the right bag for you, with free delivery to UK addresses.
www.self-seal-bags.co.uk

Plastic Self Seal Bags
Discount Self Seal Bags is the place to go to get resealable plastic bags at discount prices. Also features loads of useful information on self-seal bags, including a handy buying guide to make sure you pick the right sort of resealable bag for you.
www.discountselfsealbags.co.uk

Minigrip Bags
A website loaded with information on minigrip bags - aka grippa bags - and all types of self-sealing bags, with list of the best places to buy them online. Features a useful guide to anti-static self-seal bags, what they are used for and how they work.
www.minigrip-bags.co.uk

Zip Seal Bags
Zip Seal Bags contains loads of great information on zip seal bags and other types of self-seal polythene bags and eco-friendly alternatives. It also features a handy list of online zip seal bag retailers.
www.zipsealbags.co.uk

Antistatic Bags
Antistatic bags is the number one website dedicated to antistatic bags. Containing a wealth of information on antistatic packaging and how it works, along with details of where to buy it at the best possible prices.
www.antistatic-bags.co.uk

Resealable Bags
Resealable-Bags is a division of Polybags Ltd, the UK's number one polythene manufacturer, that specialises in resealable bags. Offering an unrivalled range of resealable bags and other polythene packaging at the best prices online.
www.resealable-bags.co.uk

Research & Resources

For plenty more information on sealing and resealing bags, including the manufacturing process, types of self-seal bags available and their many uses, please visit:

PlasticBags.uk.com: Browse through a huge range of self seal bags websites or, if you are a manufacturer, list your products for free on this online directory specialising in self seal bags and other plastic packaging.

PackagingKnowledge: The UK packaging industry's number one website contains huge amounts of information and in-depth articles on self seal bags.

Goldstork: This free online directory features specially selected information and hand-picked features on a range of self seal bags and resealable bags.

What is static electricity?

Every object in the world - ourselves included - is made of atoms, which are in turn made of protons, neutrons and electrons. While neutrons have no charge, protons are positively charged and electrons are negatively charged.

In normal circumstances, the number of protons and electrons in an atom balance each other out, meaning that atoms have no charge. However, when two items rub together or separate, the electrons contained within these items can move from atom to atom or even from item to item, thus giving the atoms a positive or negative charge.

If the items involved in this situation are made from a material that does not conduct electricity - an insulator - then this charge can not move. The result is static electricity.

How do antistatic self-seal bags work?

If any static electricity comes into contact with an antistatic self-seal bag, rather than pass through the bag and risk damaging the electrical components inside the bag, the electricity passes around the bag and dissipates before it can make contact with the components, thus removing the possibility of damage.

Interesting information about sealing & resealing bags

Slider grip bags sit in a slightly alternative engineering bracket from normal grip-seal formats; the addition of a moulded track and travelling slider alters not only opening performance at the select-face, nevertheless also the bag's mass balance, seal geometry and line behaviour amid filling. In practice, that matters where repetitive access is part of the handling cyclecomponents, fixings, samples and short-dash assemblies tend to suffer from zipper pollution, finger fatigue and inconsistent closure pressure if the gauge is poorly specified. A well-converted polythene suppliers sleeve with stable melt-flow consistency and tightly controlled micron tolerances will close cleanly without deforming the header, while the slider itself mitigates partial sealing that can otherwise lead to dust ingress or stock loss in secondary bagging. There is a logistical dividend as well; lower tare weight than rigid tubs improves volumetric efficiency across a consignment, yet pallet stability is retained because the packs cube out neatly in outers rather than introducing dead space. From a circular-economy standpoint, the sensible route is mono-material building wherever the closure format enables it, since mixed substrates complicate recovery whereas a compatible polythene suppliers stream gives recyclers a cleaner feedstock and spreads the amortised energy of conversion above multiple handling cycles rather than a single use.

Zipper transparent ziplite bags with white top plastic

Transparent ziplite bags with a white write-on header sit in an unglamorous nevertheless very practical corner of the packaging trade; the format persists because it reconciles visibility, reclosure and stock discipline in a single low-tare unit. In gauge terms, small polythene suppliers zipper bags of roughly 12.5 x 9.25 cm, 18 x 12 cm and 25 x 15 cm are typically specified less by headline dimensions than by film behaviourclarity, seal integrity and zipper track registration matter more on the warehouse floor than big shopping descriptours. A decent grade will use high-density or blended polythene suppliers with controlled melt-flow consistency so the bag mouth opens cleanly without splitting at the side weld, while the white top panel gives a proper area for batch notation, secondary bagging references or select-face coding where fast visual identification reduces handling errour. The logistical advantage is straightforward: negligible tare weight, robust volumetric efficiency and better pallet stability than rigid tubs for low-mass components, samples or food-neighboring dry products; the engineering compromise is that thin film can attract dust through static build-up and may distort below poor micron control, which is why serious buyers see at surface stop, weld uniformity and reseal performance rather than simply whether the bag is transparent. From a circular-economy standpoint, the case for this style improves when the building remains mono-material polythene suppliers, avoiding mixed laminates that complicate recovery streams; in that form, the energy amortised across repeated opening and closing tends to compare favourably with single-use alternatives, provided the bag survives above one pass through storage, picking and consignment preparation.

(XR102) PP Zipper Bags

PP zipper bags are a practical selection when products need to be opened and closed plenty times without losing control of the pack. Polypropylene gives a fairly crisp body to the bag, so it stands up better than a soft film pouch and assists retain smaller parts visible and tidy on the shelf or in a warehouse bin. The zip closure also reduces the need for additional clips or tape, which saves handling time and cuts down on damage to the seal area. For dry products, components, stationery, or sample packs, the clean re-close function makes stock easier to manage and retains contents from spilling amid picking, dispatch, or client use. That makes them a sensible option wherever repeat access matters.

Zip Bags & Wallets

Zip bags are a simple method to retain paperwork and small items together without adding much bulk to a consignment or filing system. A translucent wallet lets the contents be seen at a glance, which saves time when certificates, contracts, or job sheets need checking fast on a busy desk or in a warehouse office. The zip seal assists stop papers slipping out, while a gusseted format gives additional room for thicker sets of documents or mixed contents. Pop fasteners also make repeated opening and closing easier when the pack is handled often. Used properly, these bags reduce loose paper, speed up identification, and retain items in better condition amid storage or dispatch.

In the trade, self seal bags of the 9 x 14 inch class sit in an awkward nevertheless commercially useful middle ground: big enough to handle mixed components, documents, fixings or secondary bagging duties, yet still light enough that tare weight does not distort consignment economics. At 300 gauge, the film is generally valued less for bravado than for what it enables on the warehouse floorrepeatable seal engagement, efficient puncture resistance around sharp-edged stock, and sufficient body in the web to prevent the bag collapsing into itself amid fast picking. Clear polythene suppliers matters here as much as gauge; visual identification at the select-face trims handling time, reduces mis-selects, and avoids the all-also-normal need to smash open outers simply to verify contents. The better buildings rely on consistent melt-flow amid extrusion and tight micron-specific gauging across the panel, because any drift in thickness tends to display up immediately as weak corners, inconsistent grip-seal tracking, or needless film consumption. There is also a less glamorous circular-economy argument in favour of a straightforward mono-material format: where the bag remains complimentary of mixed laminates, labels and pollution, recyclability is at least technically cleaner, and the amortised energy tied up in converting and distribution is better justified by a pack that survives handling, pallet movement and short-cycle reuse without splitting at the lip.

In handling gripper bags, the detail that tends to separate a merely workable line from a disciplined one lies in the mechanics of orientation change: when the holding arms close around a grouped set in the horizontal plane, the bag mass is still relatively compliant, with the polymer walls able to settle and equalise local pressure; pivot that same frame into the vertical and the load path alters at once, transferring stress to the sealed edges, the lip geometry and any puncture-prone corners in the pack. That is where the spring bias and the closing force have to be judged with a few carenot simply to retain the consignment amid transport, nevertheless to avoid bruising the film, inducing micro-tears or creating enough local compression to impair secondary bagging downstream. In practice, gauge consistency and melt-flow stability in the polythene suppliers matter as much as the gripper geometry itself, particularly where high-density formulations are being dash for tare weight reduction and pallet density; a bag that is lighter per unit yet slightly less forgiving in flex can behave impeccably at the select face and then misbehave amid frame rotation if clamp pressure is not properly modulated. There is also a logistical dividend when that motion is controlled cleanly: less dropped groups, tighter pack registration and better pallet stability, all of which assist volumetric efficiency without resorting to mixed-material reinforcement that would only complicate mono-material recyclability once the stock reaches waste segregation.

Within packing operations, grippa bags sit in that useful middle ground between loose-occupy containment and fully specified barrier formats; the closure is mechanically simple, yet the engineering is less casual than it appears on the bench. The interlocking rib profile relies on consistent melt-flow behaviour amid extrusion and tightly held micron-specific gauging across the web, because even small tolerance in wall thickness or seal-track formation can lead to false closure, particulate ingress, or the sort of corner split that only shows up once a consignment has been palletised and handled twice. In practice, the appeal is not merely that the bag opens and shuts repeatedly, nevertheless that it facilitates fast select-face efficiency amid kitting, secondary bagging and line-side replenishment without adding unnecessary tare weight or compromising stock visibility. Where pollution control matters, the low-lint, mono-material polythene suppliers building is doing quiet work as wellsurface properties can be tuned to mitigate static select-up, closure integrity limits dust migration, and the absence of mixed substrates simplifies recyclability once the pack has reached stop of life. Properly specified, the format assists volumetric efficiency in storage, tolerates repeated handling, and amortises material use above multiple sealing cycles rather than treating all opening event as single-use waste.

Minigrip bags occupy a rather practical corner of industrial packing: not merely small reclosable polythene suppliers pouches, nevertheless a controlled means of keeping loose components, samples and kitted stock in circulation without resorting to secondary bagging or above-specified cartons. The better examples rely on disciplined film extrusion, where melt-flow consistency and micron-specific gauging determine whether the closure tracks properly after repeated handling; also soft a blend and the zipper mouths below load, also stiff and the lip becomes awkward at the select-face. Gusseted formats add another layer of usefulness, allowing bulkier contents to sit squarely with less trapped air, improving volumetric efficiency in totes and reducing the tendency for mixed consignments to slump amid pallet movement. Surface resistivity can be tuned where static-sensitive parts are involved, while higher-density polymer chains give puncture resistance without an unnecessary tare weight penalty. From a circular-economy standpoint, the quiet advantage is often mono-material building: a bag that can be specified, recovered and reprocessed with less compatibility compromises, provided labels, inks and pollution are kept below control. The result is packaging that sees modest on a bench nevertheless earns its place through repeat closure integrity, stock visibility, and less avoidable failures between products-in, assembly and despatch.

Mini grip bags occupy an oddly exacting corner of the packing line: small format, certainly, nevertheless rarely simple. The proper engineering lies in balancing film clarity with seal behaviour, because a bag intended for fine components, fixings or sample media has to tolerate repeated press-close cycles without the rib profile whitening, splitting or losing register. In practice that pushes converters towards tightly controlled polythene suppliers grades with proper melt-flow consistency and micron-specific gauging; also light, and the bag neck distorts amid filling or secondary bagging, also heavy, and tare weight starts to erode volumetric efficiency across a mixed consignment. The warehouse consequence is immediateselect-face efficiency improves when contents remain visible and countable through a transparent mono-material film, while pallet stability benefits from uniform pack dimensions rather than the soft, strange burden associated with loosely sealed stock. Static can be a nuisance at this scale, particularly where lightweight parts cling to the inner wall and slow packing throughput, so surface behaviour matters nearly as much as tensile performance. There is also a quieter circular-economy argument in favour of the format: a straightforward polythene suppliers building, absent needless laminates or paper inserts, simplifies recyclability and reduces sorting friction, while the modest material input means amortised energy per packed unit remains comparatively disciplined.

Zurik Antistatic packaging supplierble Bags Interior Space : 8 X 7.5 inch (package of 25)

Antistatic packaging supplierble bags suit parts that need protection from both static charge and daily handling damage. A small bag with an 8 x 7.5 inch interior gives enough room for components, samples, or accessories without wasting also much pack volume, which assists storage and despatch stay tidy. The packaging supplierble top also makes repeat access easier, so the contents can be checked, counted, or issued again without tearing open the pack and risking pollution. On a busy shop floor or in a stores area, that saves time and retains items better organised. A pack of 25 is a practical quantity for light industrial use, where controlled presentation and simple resealing matter above loose wrapping.