Price Guide
All quotes include pricing for one color imprint and one location.
Non-woven polypropylene, cotton canvas, and laminated — the three main options for custom reusable grocery bags — serve different purposes, hit different price points, and work for different types of businesses. Here are the real tradeoffs.
You’ve decided to order custom reusable grocery bags. Now you need to pick a material — and the choice you make affects your cost, your timeline, your print quality, and how customers perceive your brand every time they carry the bag.
This guide covers each material honestly: what it is, what it costs, what it prints like, and when it’s the right call. No upsell, just the tradeoffs.
The Short Version
›Non-woven: Cheapest, fastest, highest volume. The default for most grocery stores.
›Cotton: Premium feel, biodegradable, machine washable. Best for boutique and organic retailers.
›Laminated: Full-color printing, water-resistant, rigid structure. Best for chains with complex branding.
Non-Woven Polypropylene
Non-woven is what most people picture when they think “reusable grocery bag.” It’s the material behind the Metro Reusable Grocery Bag and the Original Standard Grocery — two of the best-selling styles in the RTB catalog. Made from thermoplastic fibers bonded under heat and pressure, it produces a smooth, lightweight fabric that’s tear-resistant, water-resistant, and takes a clean screen-printed logo.
Specs
Cost per bag: $0.59–$3.00
Minimum order: 200 units
Production: 4–5 working days
Printing: Screen print, 1–4 spot colors
Lifespan: 300+ uses
Washable: Spot clean only
Recyclable: Yes (polypropylene type 5)
Biodegradable: No
Choose Non-Woven When
›Budget is the primary driver
›You need bags fast — 4–5 day turnaround
›You’re ordering at scale for checkout operations
›Your logo is 1–3 colors
›You want the widest selection of sizes, shapes, and stock colors
Browse all wholesale non-woven bags — 56 styles across every size, color, and handle configuration.
Cotton and Canvas
Cotton is the premium grocery bag material. The natural texture, the weight, the fact that customers can throw it in the washing machine — all of this signals quality in a way non-woven can’t match. Cotton bags get kept longer, used more often, and seen in more places. The Cotton Canvas Reusable Grocery is the most popular cotton grocery bag in the RTB lineup.
Specs
Cost per bag: $3.01–$7.00+
Minimum order: 100 units
Production: 5–10 working days
Printing: Screen print, 1–4 spot colors
Lifespan: Years of regular use
Washable: Machine washable
Recyclable: Yes
Biodegradable: Yes
Choose Cotton When
›Your store positions itself as premium, organic, or eco-conscious
›Perceived quality matters more than per-unit cost
›You want the lowest minimum order — 100 units
›You want machine washable and biodegradable
›Bags are for loyalty programs, VIP customers, or gifting — not just checkout
Browse all wholesale cotton and canvas bags — 18 styles from standard grocery totes to premium heavyweight canvas.
Laminated
Laminated bags have a glossy or matte film layer over woven polypropylene. This creates a rigid, water-resistant bag with a smooth surface that accepts full-color CMYK printing edge to edge on every panel — front, back, sides, and gusset. The Laminated Grocery, Retail, Trade bag and the rPET Shopping Bag are the most popular laminated grocery options.
Specs
Cost per bag: Higher than non-woven and cotton
Minimum order: 2,500 units (some styles at 200)
Production: 60–90 days
Printing: Full-color CMYK, edge-to-edge, all panels
Lifespan: 500+ uses
Washable: Wipe clean
Recyclable: Yes
Biodegradable: No
Choose Laminated When
›Your logo includes photography, gradients, or more than 4 colors
›You want edge-to-edge artwork across every panel
›You’re a chain or high-volume operation that can meet the 2,500-unit minimum
›You want the most durable, rigid, water-resistant bag available
›You can plan 60–90 days ahead
Browse all wholesale laminated bags — 12 styles including grocery, gift, and retail formats.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Cheapest per unit
Non-woven ($0.59–$3.00) beats cotton ($3.01–$7.00+) and laminated at every volume.
Fastest turnaround
Non-woven at 4–5 days. Cotton at 5–10 days. Laminated at 60–90 days — plan ahead.
Lowest minimum order
Cotton at 100 units. Non-woven at 200. Laminated at 2,500 (some styles at 200).
Best print quality
Laminated wins — unlimited colors, photographic quality, full coverage across every panel.
Most durable
Laminated (500+ uses), then non-woven (300+ uses), then cotton (years of use, but susceptible to staining).
Most eco-friendly
Cotton (biodegradable, renewable fiber). Non-woven (recyclable type 5). Laminated (recyclable, longest lifespan reduces overall waste).
The Mix-and-Match Approach
Most grocery stores don’t pick a single material — they build a small range of options that serve different customer types and purchase occasions. A common three-tier setup:
This three-tier approach gives every customer the right bag for the right occasion without over-investing in any single material or stocking more variety than your team can manage.
Related Articles
Different Types of Reusable Bags — Buyer’s Guide
How Grocery Stores Use Branded Reusable Bags to Build Customer Loyalty
The Cost of Custom Reusable Grocery Bags: Wholesale Pricing Guide
Custom Grocery Bags for Plastic Bag Bans: A Compliance Guide
Ready to choose?
Browse all three materials side by side. Free proof on every order. Request a quote on any product page or call us to talk through your store’s needs.
or call 877-334-5323