Traditional bags see resurgence as Mideast war impacts plastics
Traditional bags see resurgence as Mideast war impacts plastics
2026-04-03
The war in the Middle East has made raw materials for making plastic bags difficult to acquire, resulting in price increases and shortages. Because of this, traditional “ox head” bags have made it out of the fields. Originally used to carry pesticides, farmers are now using these large and durable bags for their daily necessities as well. The distinctive Taiwanese Gaji bag is also seeing a resurgence.
A farmer is going out into his orchard to tend to his crops. But what does he have there? There’s a white nylon bag hanging from his scooter, and he’s carrying another. What’re they for?
Farmer
For laying plastic piping. If we’re not irrigating, we’ll carry some water and my phone—whatever I’ll need in the orchard.
This is the “ox-head” bag used by farmers, called that because it looks like an ox head when folded. As it was designed to carry pesticides out into the field, it’s spacious and durable—suitable for shopping and eco-friendly to boot. As the war in the Middle East rages on and plastic bags are becoming harder to find, the “ox head” bag is quickly becoming a replacement.
Pesticide seller
Back in the day they were made from canvas. Later, we made plastic versions. It’s eco-friendly. It can be used many times. After carrying pesticides, you can use it to carry farming tools. So the tradition has been passed down.
It’s not only “ox-head” bags. The colorful blue, green, and red-striped “Gaji” bags from Tainan’s Houbi District are also having a moment. Once a must-buy souvenir for foreign tourists, they’ve also recently seen a surge in sales.
Huang Cheng-hsiung
Gaji bag maker
Due to the rush to buy plastic products recently, many people have come to our store to place orders. We’re working hard to produce more to meet demand.
Businesses that use lots of plastic bags are also feeling the squeeze. In Kaohsiung, a famous soy milk restaurant announced they’re no longer offering them from April 1. If customers want a bag, they have to bring their own.
Member of public
If I need a regular hand bag, I usually bring my own. But if I need one of those heat-resistant bag for food, it could be inconvenient.
With the temporary shortage, some shop owners are unwilling to absorb the increased costs and have simply stopped buying plastic bags. Some are instead using classic Taiwanese bags as a replacement. After all, necessity is the mother of invention, and it could even bring a touch of traditional fashion.
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#bags #plasticbags #plasticshortage #shoppingbag #Gajibag #TaiwaneseLV #oxheadbag #traditional #Iranwar
中東戰火衝擊塑膠原料 "牛頭袋.茄芷袋"翻紅成新寵
2026-04-03
受到中東戰火影響，塑膠袋原物料也受衝擊，塑膠袋不僅漲價，而且還很難買到，因此以往用來裝農藥的牛頭袋，空間大又耐裝，有農民就拿來裝生活用品，重複利用；不只如此，最有台味的茄芷袋，最近同樣掀起搶購熱潮。
農民走進果園，準備進行農務工作，仔細看，不只機車上掛著一個白色尼龍袋，農民身上也揹了一個，到底是什麼用途?
[[農民]]
“放塑膠管，如果平常沒有噴水，我們就裝一些水、手機，還有一些果園裡需要用到的東西。”
原來這是農用購物袋”牛頭袋”，折起來的樣子就像個牛頭，過去設計用來裝農藥，不只空間大很耐裝，還能當購物袋，重複利用兼具環保，堪稱農用LV，在中東戰火升溫，塑膠袋不易取得的階段，牛頭袋成了替代法寶。
[[農藥行業者]]
“最早是用帆布製作的，之後再研發塑膠的，這個可以比較環保，環保就能夠重複使用，裝農藥後可以裝一些農用工具，所以就一直傳承下來。”
不只牛頭袋出場率高，生產自台南市後壁區，藍綠紅條紋造型的＂茄芷袋＂，最有台味的環保袋，以往外國觀光客必買的伴手禮，近期同樣掀起搶購熱潮。
[[後壁茄芷工坊業者 黃正雄]]
“最近因為這樣塑膠製品的搶購，也造成一批到店來訂購的人潮。我們盡量來努力，趕快可以做比較多的產品供應。”
塑膠袋難買，也反映在大量使用塑膠袋的店家，高雄一間知名豆漿店，貼出4月1日起，不提供塑膠袋的公告，顧客得自行裝備提袋。
[[民眾]]
“如果是提袋的話，我平常自己都會準備，但如果是裝食物的那個耐熱袋，不提供就會比較麻煩。”
塑膠袋暫時短缺，有店家不願吸收漲價成本，乾脆不向廠商購買塑膠袋。民眾也改用台灣味LV購物袋，窮則變、變則通，還有傳統時尚風。
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