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PaperJohn puts a sustainable shopping bag on your back

PaperJohn puts a sustainable shopping bag on your back
It is hoped that the PaperJohn will encourage more people to cycle to the shops than drive
It is hoped that the PaperJohn will encourage more people to cycle to the shops than drive
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The PaperJohn can be worn as a backpack or carried like a plastic carrier bag
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The PaperJohn can be worn as a backpack or carried like a plastic carrier bag
The PaperJohn is a standard 320 x 170 x 450 mm (12.6 x 6.7 x 17.7 in) block-bottomed paper bag with long shoulder straps added
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The PaperJohn is a standard 320 x 170 x 450 mm (12.6 x 6.7 x 17.7 in) block-bottomed paper bag with long shoulder straps added
It is hoped that the PaperJohn will encourage more people to cycle to the shops than drive
3/3
It is hoped that the PaperJohn will encourage more people to cycle to the shops than drive
View gallery - 3 images

Plastic carrier bags are typically petroleum-based, take a long time to decompose and are often imported from distant countries. They're also tricky to carry when cycling. The new PaperJohn tackles all of these issues. It's a backpack made of biodegradable, 100 percent recycled paper.

The PaperJohn is intended for impromptu trips to the supermarket, for when you've forgotten to bring a bag or simply for people who don't have a bag suitable for carrying groceries when on a bike. Judging by the photos, it looks easier to ride with than something like the Bag Buddy and more versatile than the Packtasche.

By providing a means of carrying shopping safely when cycling, it is hoped that the PaperJohn will encourage more people to leave the car at home and cycle to the shops instead. It also has what Ogata, the company behind the PaperJohn, says is a higher than normal paper density of 120 g/sq m to make it sturdier for carrying heavy groceries.

The bag itself is a standard 320 x 170 x 450 mm (12.6 x 6.7 x 17.7 in) block-bottomed paper bag with shoulder straps added. At 140 cm (55 in) long, Ogata says the straps can be worn comfortably by people of most shapes and sizes. In addition, it says branding could be easily printed onto the bag.

A crowdfunding campaign for the PaperJohn will begin in August.

Source: PaperJohn

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4 comments
4 comments
Tom Lee Mullins
Wouldn't a re-usable backpack make more sense? One would not have to cut down trees to make them. They can be used for other things too.
Freyr Gunnar
The problem has already been solved: Either get a pocket grocery bag, or… a folding bike with a lug welded in the front (Brompton, Dahon, Tern, etc.).
https://sevenleagueboots.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/b-bag-mariestad-milano-1.jpg
Tom Swift
it was the green-treehugging-hippies that made us switch from paper to plastic because it was better for the environment. So they were wrong, what modern cause are they also wrong about.
Enlightened Wookie
this has to be the stupidest 'product' i've seen on gizmag. the name says it all - PaperJohn. here's a paper bag with some straps on it. no, you don't take a crap in it. it's not that kind of 'john'.
but really, it is.
cutting down trees is not a problem - if you're cutting them down to make a product - because you will be sure to plant more if your product depends on it...or your supplier will...