More than six years after regulations were introduced restricting the liquids we can take on board an aircraft, many people are still unsure what they can and can’t do. It was an alleged terrorist attempt to blow up at least ten airliners en route from the UK to Canada and the US in August 2006 that prompted the new measures. The perpetrators apparently tried to create their explosive devices by mixing peroxide-based liquids smuggled on board, and injected into 500ml plastic Oasis or Lucozade bottles.

In the immediate aftermath, no hand luggage was permitted on board aircraft at all, bar a few essential items such as travel documents and wallets, but within three months these rules had been relaxed. Those rules still stand today, and only permit passengers to take liquids through security in containers no larger than 100ml; once you’re through security, you can buy bottles of water, perfumes etc from duty free shops without any problems, as these will already have been scanned.

So what exactly can you take on board?

According to official government advice:
• containers must not be able to hold more than 100ml
• containers must be carried in a single, transparent, resealable plastic bag, which holds no more than a litre and measures approximately 20cm x 20cm
• contents must fit comfortably inside the bag so it can be sealed
• the bag must not be knotted or tied at the top
• each passenger can carry only one of these bags
• the bag must be presented for examination at the airport security point

On some websites it states that these resealable plastic bags need to have a zip closure, but this is not accurate – grip seal bags will do just as well.

The Davpack solution

If you’re flying over to Barcelona for the weekend and need something to take your shampoo, shower gel and toothpaste in, Davpack is probably not the place you need to shop. Because, although we have a selection of poly bags ideal for the purpose, we tend to sell them in packs of anywhere from 250 to 1000. You’d need to be an extremely frequent flyer to get through them all on your own!

On the other hand, if you’re a retailer with a customer base that includes travellers, you need look no further!

From the selection available at www.davpack.co.uk, the best choice for this purpose would be either one of our 187 x 187mm grip seal bags, or a 200 x 150mm zip lock bag. The latter is inevitably pricier, but it’s also much stronger (75 micron as opposed to 40 micron). With prices starting from less than 2p per bag for the grip seal bag and less than 17p for the zip lock, they’re also great value.

For more information on our full range of clear polythene bags, visit our website or call our Sales team on 0844 800 9844.

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Rick Stanford

Rick has been a salesman in the packaging supplies business for more than thirty years. Now semi-retired, he divides his time between tending his allotment in north Devon, getting depressed at the continuing travails of his home-town football club Macclesfield Town, and sharing his considerable experience and knowledge with the readers of the Davpack blog. Davpack

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