Machine prices from Chinese and Indian supplier listings seen on 3 November 2026; rules from published government notifications and press reports. Not legal advice: check the current rules where you will sell.
The first question about a plastic bag manufacturing machine is not its price but whether the bags it makes can be sold where you are. Bangladesh banned polythene shopping bags in 2002 and began enforcing that ban again in supermarkets from 1 October 2024 and in all markets from 1 November 2024. India has required plastic carry bags to be at least 120 microns thick since 31 December 2022. A machine that cannot make a legal bag is not cheap at any price, so this guide puts the rules beside the numbers.
What the rules mean for the machine you buy
| Country | Rule | What it means for equipment |
|---|---|---|
| India | Carry bags of virgin or recycled plastic at least 75 microns from 30 Sep 2021 and 120 microns from 31 Dec 2022; identified single-use items banned from 1 Jul 2022; non-woven carry bags at least 60 GSM. The thickness rule does not apply to compostable plastic carry bags. | The film line must reliably make 120-micron film for carry bags, or run certified compostable material. Each bag must also carry the maker’s name, registration number and thickness. |
| Bangladesh | Polythene bag ban since 2002; renewed enforcement in supermarkets from 1 Oct 2024, all markets from 1 Nov 2024, with action against producers. | Making polythene or polypropylene shopping bags for the local market is prohibited. Machines for permitted packaging films, or for jute, paper and other alternatives, are different purchases. |
| Other countries | Rules vary widely | Confirm local thickness limits, bans and labelling before ordering. |
India’s thickness rule changed the machinery market. Commentators at the time noted that makers would need different equipment to produce bags above 120 microns, and several Indian listings now state their film range, for example 15 to 60 microns on one plant and up to 150 microns on another. Ask any supplier for the thickness range at your target width and output, and see a test roll.
Bangladesh shows that a ban on paper is not the same as a closed market. A Dhaka academic told the Dhaka Tribune that polythene bags are made in some 1,000 small factories, an environment ministry director told Dialogue Earth that only seven factories had been shut down since the October 2024 drive, and reporting in 2026 found the bags still widely used. None of that makes production legal; it makes enforcement unpredictable, which is a business risk for any buyer.
The two machines, and what they cost in China
| Machine | Listing | Asking price |
|---|---|---|
| Film blowing, mini | SJ25 mini extruder, ready to ship | $1,800 |
| Film blowing, mid-size | Ruian Songsheng SS-FM for HDPE/LDPE T-shirt bag film | $7,200 |
| Film blowing, mid-size | HDPE-LDPE bag film machine | $7,600 to $7,800 |
| Film blowing, mid-size | CX-50-700 HDPE T-shirt bag film, 3-year guarantee | $10,900 to $12,500 |
| Film blowing, three-layer ABA | Wenzhou Aoxiang 600 mm supermarket bag film | €26,194 to €27,941 |
| Film blowing, rotary die | PE film line for shopping and food bags | $39,380 |
| Bag making, flat bags | CX-600/1200, 550 mm, 120 bags per minute | $5,500 to $6,000 |
| Bag making, T-shirt bags | Fully automatic patch and vest bag machine | $13,000 to $15,000 |
| Bag making, T-shirt bags | High-speed T-shirt bag machine | $16,500 to $18,000 |
Alibaba listings; factory-gate asking prices before shipping, duty and installation.
One Made-in-China listing gives its price as “US$10 to 1,000,000 per set”. That is a placeholder, not a price, and a reminder that only a written quotation for your bag size, film thickness and output means anything.
Indian prices
| Seller (city) | Machine | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Faridabad supplier | Manual carry bag cutting machine, 40 to 50 strokes/min | ₹1,80,000 |
| Vikas Industries (Vadodara) | Carry bag monolayer blown film plant | ₹4,50,000 and ₹5,50,000 |
| Global Business Industries (Kolkata) | Biodegradable bag making, 80 to 120 pcs/min | ₹4,50,000 |
| Ashok Engineering Works | Plastic carry bag making machine | ₹4,65,000 |
| Botanical Plastics | Carry bag making machine | ₹6,50,000 |
| Ashok Extrutech | 100 bags/min carry bag machine | ₹7,50,000 |
| Ashok Engineering Works | Compostable bag making machine | ₹8,00,000 |
| Ashok Engineering Works | Two-layer blown film plant | ₹13,00,000 |
| Ashok Extrutech | Three-layer blown film plant, 60 kg/hr | ₹17,00,000 |
| Ashok Engineering Works | Bag making machine, 1,000 bags/hour | ₹20,00,000 |
| Shree Radhekrishna Extrutech (Ahmedabad) | Three-layer blown film plant, 200 kg/hr, 120 kW | ₹45,00,000 |
IndiaMART listings; GST and installation usually not stated.
Compostable and biodegradable bag machines are common in Indian listings, partly because compostable carry bags are exempt from the thickness rule. Ask what certification the material and finished bags need before treating that as an easy route.
What a complete line needs
- Film blowing extruder sized to the film width and output you need.
- Bag making machine for the bag type: flat, T-shirt (vest), bottom-seal garbage bags on roll, or patch handle.
- Printing if bags carry branding or the labelling India requires; flexo printers are often sold separately or as online units.
- Power and cooling: one Indian three-layer line lists 120 kW; check your supply.
- Resin and recycling: granules, plus an agglomerator if you reuse trim.
If plastic is ruled out, our guides to paper bag making machines, paper converting machines and single-pass printers for bags and boxes cover the alternatives.
Questions to ask before ordering
- Which bags, at what width and thickness, will this line make, and can it hold the minimum thickness required where I sell?
- Output in kg per hour of film and bags per minute, measured on my material.
- Single or multi-layer, die type, and screw size.
- Power demand, voltage and space needed.
- What is included: winders, corona treatment, printing, cutting and sealing.
- Installation, training, spare parts and warranty terms, and price basis.
FAQs
What thickness must plastic carry bags be in India? Under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021, carry bags of virgin or recycled plastic must be at least 75 microns from 30 September 2021 and at least 120 microns from 31 December 2022. Non-woven plastic carry bags must be at least 60 GSM. The thickness rule does not apply to compostable plastic carry bags.
Does the 120-micron rule change which machine I need? Yes. Your blown-film and bag-making machines must reliably produce and handle film at that thickness, so check this with the supplier before ordering.
Can I make plastic bags in Bangladesh? Polythene shopping bags are banned in Bangladesh, with enforcement stepped up from October 2024, so check what products are legal before investing. Our paper bag machine guide covers the alternative.
How we priced this
Chinese prices are Alibaba and Made-in-China asking prices; Indian prices are IndiaMART listings; both were recorded by hand on 3 November 2026. The chart’s average covers only three comparable film blowing machines. Rules are summarised from published notifications and reporting; they change, so confirm them before buying.
| Tracked listing | Configuration | Latest price | Previous price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruian Songsheng SS-FM HDPE/LDPE film blowing machine for T-shirt bags | Alibaba-listed asking price, recorded by hand Nov 3, 2026 | $7,200 | No earlier snapshot |
| HDPE-LDPE bag film blowing machine (low end of $7,600-$7,800) | Alibaba-listed asking price, recorded by hand Nov 3, 2026 | $7,600 | No earlier snapshot |
| CX-50-700 HDPE T-shirt bag film blowing machine (low end of $10,900-$12,500) | Alibaba-listed asking price, recorded by hand Nov 3, 2026 | $10,900 | No earlier snapshot |
| SJ25 mini film blowing machine, ready to ship not in average | Alibaba-listed asking price, recorded by hand Nov 3, 2026 | $1,800 | No earlier snapshot |
| PE film blowing machine with rotary die, 24-year supplier not in average | Alibaba-listed asking price, recorded by hand Nov 3, 2026 | $39,380 | No earlier snapshot |
| CX-600/1200 flat bag making (cutting and sealing) machine, 120 pcs/min (low end of $5,500-$6,000) not in average | Alibaba-listed asking price, recorded by hand Nov 3, 2026 | $5,500 | No earlier snapshot |
| Fully automatic T-shirt/patch bag making machine (low end of $13,000-$15,000) not in average | Alibaba-listed asking price, recorded by hand Nov 3, 2026 | $13,000 | No earlier snapshot |
| High-speed T-shirt bag making machine (low end of $16,500-$18,000) not in average | Alibaba-listed asking price, recorded by hand Nov 3, 2026 | $16,500 | No earlier snapshot |
Sources: Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas on India’s 2021 plastic rules and Dialogue Earth on Bangladesh’s polythene ban. Dhaka Tribune, The Daily Star and UNB reporting, Alibaba, Made-in-China and IndiaMART listings were also reviewed.
Updated November 2026 with FAQs. Additional source: Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021, gazette notification G.S.R. 571(E) and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas summary via Mondaq.
