prEN 13590

Packaging - Flexible carrier bags for the transport of various retail goods - General characteristics and test methods for the determination of volume and carrying capacity

This document specifies general characteristics and test methods for determination of volume and carrying capacity of flexible carrier bags with handles for transport of various unspecified retail goods.
This document is applicable to:
-   carrier bags made of paper, thermoplastic material and/or any other flexible material;
-   carrier bags with any shape and dimension;
-   carrier bags with or without gussets.

Verpackung - Tragetaschen für den Transport verschiedener Einzelhandelsgüter - Allgemeine Eigenschaften und Prüfverfahren für die Bestimmung des Volumens und der Tragekapazität

Dieses Dokument legt allgemeine Eigenschaften und Prüfverfahren zur Bestimmung des Volumens und der Tragekapazität flexibler Tragetaschen mit Tragegriffen vor, die zum Transport verschiedener, nicht näher beschriebener Einzelhandelsgüter dienen.
Dieses Dokument ist anwendbar für:
   Tragetaschen aus Papier, Thermoplaste und/oder einem jeglichen anderen flexiblen Material;
   Tragetaschen mit jeglicher Form und jeglichen Maßen;
   Tragetaschen mit oder ohne Seitenfalte.

Emballage - Sacs en matériau souple pour le transport de marchandises de détail variées - Caractéristiques générales et méthodes d'essai pour la détermination du volume et de la capacité de transport

Le présent document spécifie les caractéristiques générales et les méthodes d’essai relatives à la détermination du volume et de la capacité de transport des sacs en matériau souple avec des poignées servant au transport de marchandises de détail variées non spécifiques.
Le présent document s’applique :
—   aux sacs en papier, en matériau thermoplastique et/ou en tout autre matériau souple ;
—   aux sacs de toutes formes et dimensions ;
—   aux sacs avec ou sans soufflets.

Embalaža - Prožne vreče za nošenje različnega drobnega blaga - Splošne značilnosti in preskusne metode za ugotavljanje prostornine in nosilnosti

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 23-Aug-2026
• ICS: 55.080 - Sacks. Bags
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 261 - Packaging
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 261/SC 5/WG 26 - Packages made from flexible materials (e.g. flexible plastics, plastic laminates, paper/board laminated, metal foil laminates, textiles)
• Current Stage: 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 06-Nov-2025
• Due Date: 07-Apr-2025
• Completion Date: 06-Nov-2025
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 13590:2026 - Packaging - Flexible carrier bags for the transport of various retail goods - General characteristics and test methods for the determination of volume and carrying capacity

Relations

• Revises: EN 13590:2003 - Packaging - Flexible carrier bags for the transport of various retail goods - General characteristics and test methods for the determination of volume and carrying capacity
• Effective Date: 15-May-2024

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-januar-2026
Embalaža - Prožne vreče za nošenje različnega drobnega blaga - Splošne
značilnosti in preskusne metode za ugotavljanje prostornine in nosilnosti
Packaging - Flexible carrier bags for the transport of various retail goods - General
characteristics and test methods for the determination of volume and carrying capacity
Verpackung - Tragetaschen für den Transport verschiedener Einzelhandelsgüter -
Allgemeine Eigenschaften und Prüfverfahren für die Bestimmung des Volumens und der
Tragekapazität
Emballage - Sacs en matériau souple pour le transport de marchandises de détail
variées - Caractéristiques générales et méthodes d'essai pour la détermination du
volume et de la capacité de transport
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 13590
ICS:
55.080 Vreče. Vrečke Sacks. Bags
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
November 2025
ICS 55.080 Will supersede EN 13590:2003
English Version
Packaging - Flexible carrier bags for the transport of
various retail goods - General characteristics and test
methods for the determination of volume and carrying
capacity
Emballage - Sacs en matériau souple pour le transport Verpackung - Tragetaschen für den Transport
de marchandises de détail variées - Caractéristiques verschiedener Einzelhandelsgüter - Allgemeine
générales et méthodes d'essai pour la détermination Eigenschaften und Prüfverfahren für die Bestimmung
du volume et de la capacité de transport des Volumens und der Tragekapazität
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 261.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 13590:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Determination of volume and initial carrying weight . 5
4.1 General. 5
4.2 Material . 5
4.3 Determination of volume . 5
4.3.1 General. 5
4.3.2 Volume for a carrier bag according to shape A . 6
4.3.3 Volume for a carrier bag according to shape B . 6
4.3.4 Volume for a carrier bag according to shape C . 7
4.4 Determination of initial test weight . 7
4.4.1 General. 7
4.4.2 Calculation of initial test weight . 7
4.4.3 Initial test weight by agreement . 7
5 Principles . 8
5.1 Sampling . 8
5.2 Conditioning . 8
5.3 Filling material for testing the carrying capacity . 8
5.4 Equipment . 8
6 Testing procedure for carrying capacity . 12
6.1 Determination of the maximum carrying weight . 12
6.2 Determination of the elongation of the flexible bag . 13
7 Test report . 13
8 Marking . 14
Annex A (normative) Filling material . 15
Annex B (informative) Parameters to be considered when ordering carrier bags . 16

European foreword
This document (prEN 13590:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 261 “Packaging”,
the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 13590:2003.
— the document has been revised according to the latest updated version of the principles and rules of
the Internal Regulations Part 3;
— the document has been restructured to shape two new clauses on the determination of volume and
initial carrying weight and principles, respectively;
— EN ISO 6590-1, has been listed as a normative reference in Clause 2;
— the term and definition for the total length of bag has been added to Clause 3;
— Figure 1 has been expanded to include an additional example of a carrier bag in Clause 4;
— the determination of the elongation of the flexible bag has been added to the testing procedure for
carrying capacity;
— the name and address of responsible supplier is deleted from the list of information included in the
test report;
— the elongation of the handle in percent is added to the list of information included in the test report;
— the year and month or week of manufacture has been deleted from the information included in the
marking;
— the year of testing has been added to the list of the information included in the marking;
— Annex B on Parameters to be considered when ordering carrier bag has been added to the document.

1 Scope
This document specifies general characteristics and test methods for determination of volume and
carrying capacity of flexible carrier bags with handles for transport of various unspecified retail goods.
This document is applicable to:
— carrier bags made of paper, thermoplastic material and/or any other flexible material;
— carrier bags with any shape and dimension;
— carrier bags with or without gussets.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN ISO 2233, Packaging — Complete, filled transport packages and unit loads — Conditioning for testing
(ISO 2233)
EN ISO 8367-1, Packaging — Dimensional tolerances for general purpose sacks — Part 1: Paper sacks
(ISO 8367-1)
EN ISO 8367-2, Packaging — Dimensional tolerances for general purpose sacks — Part 2: Sacks made from
thermoplastic flexible film (ISO 8367-2)
ISO 6590-1, Packaging — Vocabulary — Part 1: Paper sacks
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN ISO 6590-1 and the following
apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
gusset
fold inserted in the longitudinal edge of a tube or bag
3.2
base gusset
fold inserted in the bottom of the bag
3.3
tube
one or more plies in the form of a flattened cylinder cut into prescribed lengths
3.4
ply
film or sheet of flexible material, or combination of such materials, forming the walls of a bag
3.5
handle
device forming part of the bag allowing the insertion of hands for the easy carrying of a load
3.6
length of bag up to handle
overall length from bottom to the start of the handle, perpendicular to the bottom
3.7
width of bag
distance between the longitudinal edges of the flat bag, gusset not included, parallel to the bottom
3.8
width of bottom
distance between the two bottom edge folds or the external creases of the base gusset, measured at the
centre, parallel to the bag's length
3.9
length of handle
overall length from the top to the maximum possible filling height of the bag
3.10
width of gusset
distance between the external creases of the unfolded gusset
3.11
width of handle
minimal width of a handle measured on the flat bag
3.12
total length of bag
overall length from bottom to the top, including the handle, perpendicular to the bottom
4 Determination of volume and initial carrying weight
4.1 General
The testing procedure always starts by determining the volum
...