Trade shows are conducted all over the world and attracted by millions of people. Shows work as a tools for creating business relationships with customers, dealers, distributors, . Many major events are known for the huge gathering. The importance of a show is that an entrepreneur can meet thousands of people or prospective customers face to face within a short period of time. At the same time, a customer has many advantages like he can identify different items in one place with a lot of time and money saved in traveling long distance to understand the trends in latest goods and services available and selection from a variety of optional items. Identifying and comparison of different makes in one place is an important advantage too. Such events very often transforms into a cultural festival of that country or place where it is organized, over a period of time. Village fares known for centuries and the entire village used to gather and participate with a lot of enthusiasm in such fares. In business terms a trade is intend to generate sales leads, introduction of a new product and establishment in the market space. Services of hundreds of sales executives saved, distributors and dealers can be recruited and audience can be educated with demonstration of a new product.
It is estimated that there are more than 50,000 Trade shows conducted at more than 8,000 venues and facilities around the world. A study in the US indicated that a average total cost of clinching a deal in the field can be as expensive as $1,080, while a sale can be reached in a show for a paltry $419. Computer and Accessories are the major crowd pullers recently because of introduction of new items and technologies every day. Even though a typical business-to-business show does not allow sales on the show area, it can be ignited to generating sales leads.
Attractive displays and decoration of the stalls are important and even small companies competing for making an attractive pavilion. Even small companies put forward not only product catalogs, but they give petite gifts, bags, caps, T-shirts, etc. also to the visitors. Now these days, in any show, the common trend is the advertisement on bags distributed in the events. A bag is a useful item for carrying all the collected catalogues and small gifts in the show. Environmental friendly bags are the fashion now. Polythene bags have given way for jute and recycled paper bags. These bags are not made for a single day use and companies wish to make it a walking billboard for them carrying everywhere, not only in the exhibition place but as a handy carriage bag for a daily use until they lost the glamour. Without any extra cost, the message is spread over in the hands of thousands of people. No other throw away articles received on free gifts can be reused such as a bag.
Jute bags have distinctive advantage with an eco-friendly natural product, which is easy for recycling too. Production of eco-friendly bags have increased due to the ban on polythene bags by different countries. Recycled and recyclable paper bags are the most selling bags now these days. Commercial use of polythene started in 80s and a competition between polythene, jute and paper bags ensued. The result was the market was taken over by the former quickly. Its popularity increased day by day due to its low price and portability comparing to other bag products. The end result of widespread use in polythene bags was a severe damage to environment. People started to use and throw polythene bags everywhere. One of the most disadvantages of polythene bags was no effective disposal system. Environmental consequences worsened the situation and environmentalists worldwide stood up against the use and environmental disasters. Disaster of polythene bags use and throw came into light when street cows dead in many Indian cities. After a autopsy of a cow, it was revealed that the reason for death was eating polythene covers and the doctors removed 15 kilograms of polythene waste from stomach of the cow. Environmental hazards including water contamination, clogging of drains and sewerage lines witnessed all small to metro cities around the world. Air pollution was another disastrous result. The waste polythene bags were the breeding hubs for mosquitoes during monsoon season, where the mosquitoes laying eggs in the collected rain water in the bags. People used the bags to dispose off kitchen waste by conveniently collected in the polythene bags and throwing in the dust bins or open sewerage systems. Considering the rapid environmental degradation due to polythene, the NGOs, teachers and students of schools and universities organized mass agitation and awareness programs, workshops, seminars, campaigns, human chain and rallies against the use of polythene bags in many countries.
Other than the above, there are loads of environmental and green tribulations due to the careless use and throw of
| |
polythene bags. The non-degradable polythene can block rainwater seeping into the soil thereby making a loss in the natural underground water storage system. The dumped polythene will not allow emission of the toxic gases and pollutants from the earth. Also, it destroys fertility of soil due to the destruction of bacteria in the soil. While burning the polythene, materials emit poisonous gases like dioxin and a prolonged inhalation of the same can seriously affect the health and can cause cancer and other skin diseases. The worst part of the result in use of polythene came into the knowledge after an expert study where it indicated that the polythene wrapped food products like meat and fish generating heat and radiation to make it more vulnerable. Still there are chances of its recovery in recent experiments and success in making perishable polythene bag products.
The questions of replacement for polythene bags were many. In the UK, New Bio-degradable Plastic Bag introduced and even thought the production cost is little higher from 15-20% than polythene shopping bag, it proved a good substitute. Another answer to the problem was paper bags. Depending on the industry specifications, its thickness and other properties can be decided as well as basis weight. A higher basis weight paper will be required to make a stronger bag. Measurement of basis weight is done by the symbol #, which represents pounds. A 30# paper bag has a 30 lb basis weight. Paper shopping bags have advantages of environmentally friendly, cheap and easy availability. The majority of the paper bag makers use bags made with 100% Kraft paper to guarantee that the bags are 100% recyclable. But there are some disadvantages of paper bags like quick damage and loss of shape in humid conditions have affected its growth up to a certain extent.
A further replacement to the Polythene bags came as Jute bags, which are environment friendly product and natural. Jute bags are totally eco-friendly and agricultural product Jute bags have rewards over other bags such as more stackability, durability, re-usability, porosity, space utilization, withstand at high temperature and many more.
Environmental friendly bags are the need of the hour and most Trade shows are encouraging its use and avoiding the disasters of unfriendly products in the name of fashion and technology.