Cartons of vacuum sealer bags, zip-lock bags and food storage bags stacked on a Melbourne warehouse shelf

Buying GuideKitchen & Dining

Plastic Bags Wholesale: A Melbourne Food-Business Buying Guide (2026)

Vacuum sealer bags, zip-lock bags, LDPE freezer and produce bags - how to pick the right food-grade plastic bag, in the right size and film thickness, for your Melbourne venue.

By The dpack Trade Desk· Updated October 2026· 9 min read

"Plastic bags" covers a lot of ground in a commercial kitchen, and most of it has nothing to do with the single-use checkout bags that have been phased out across Victoria. For a food business the question is never "do I need a plastic bag" - it is which food-grade bag, in which size and film thickness, for the job in front of you: sealing a brisket for the freezer, portioning prep for service, bagging produce, or packing a product for sale.

Get it wrong and you pay twice - in product that spoils because the bag was too thin or the wrong size, and in cash tied up in a carton that sits unused. This guide walks through the four bag families a Melbourne venue actually buys in bulk, how to size them, and what "food grade" really means. Everything here is stocked by the carton on our plastic bags wholesale range.

The short version

Vacuum sealer bags - the workhorse for butchers, delis, sous vide and meal prep. Removes air, extends shelf life, prevents freezer burn. Size to the product, not the machine.
Zip-lock and resealable bags - open-and-close portioning, mise en place and labelling. Reusable through a shift.
LDPE, freezer and produce bags - high-volume storage, bulk freezing and loose produce. Cheapest per bag at carton volume.
Cello and reusable carry bags - packing a finished product for sale, and the compliant carry bag for front-of-house.
Buy on film thickness (micron) and fit, not just price per carton - a bag that splits or lets air in costs more than it saves.

Portioned meat being sealed in a food-grade vacuum sealer bag on a stainless deli bench

The workhorse

Vacuum sealer bags: size to the product, not the machine

Vacuum sealer bags pull the air out around a product and heat-seal it shut. Less oxygen means slower spoilage, no freezer burn and a tidy, stackable pack - which is why they are the first bag most butchers, delis and meal-prep kitchens standardise on.

The size rule is simple: leave roughly 30 to 50mm of clear film above the product for a clean seal, and do not overfill the width. A portion that fits a 250 x 350mm bag will seal poorly in a 165 x 250mm one. We stock the full ladder from 135 x 200mm up to 400 x 600mm, all sold in 100-piece packs, so you can match the bag to the cut rather than forcing the cut to the bag.

Best for portioned meat and fish, cheese, sous vide and batch meal prep
Removes air to extend fridge and freezer life
Choose a heavier film for bones and sharp edges that can pierce thin bags

Shop wholesale vacuum sealer bags across every size.

Labelled zip-lock bags of prepped vegetables lined up in a commercial fridge

Open and close

Zip-lock and resealable bags: portioning and prep

Where a vacuum bag is a one-time seal, a zip-lock bag is made to open and close through a shift. That makes resealable bags the natural choice for mise en place, portioned prep, decanted sauces and anything that needs a quick label and a spot in the fridge.

They come in a wide size range - we carry resealable lines from small coin bags up to large storage sizes, including heavy-duty slider-lock bags that stand up to repeated handling. For a prep kitchen, buying the 1000-piece cartons brings the cost per bag right down.

Best for portioning, labelling and short-term fridge storage
Reusable within a service, resealable by hand with no machine
Clear film so staff can identify contents at a glance

For a full breakdown by size, see our zip lock bag sizes guide, or buy bulk zip lock bags in Melbourne by the carton.

Match the bag to the job

Which plastic bag for which job

The quick cross-reference most kitchens use before committing to a carton.

Job	Best bag	Why
Portioned meat & fish for the freezer	Vacuum sealer bags	Air removal stops freezer burn and extends shelf life
Sous vide cooking	Vacuum sealer bags	Full seal holds the product submerged and flavour in
Daily mise en place & prep	Zip-lock / resealable	Open-and-close access, quick labelling
Bulk dry goods & high-volume storage	LDPE / freezer bags	Lowest cost per bag at carton volume
Loose fruit & veg	Produce / LDPE bags	Light, breathable, cheap per unit
Packing a product for sale	Cello / BOPP bags	Crisp, clear presentation with a peel-and-seal flap
Front-of-house carry bag	Reusable 40 micron carry bags	Meets the Victorian ban on lightweight single-use bags

Not sure which family fits your workflow? Talk to the trade desk or call 0416 769 492.

Vacuum bag size selector

What size vacuum sealer bag do I need

A starting point by product size - all sold in 100-piece packs. Leave 30 to 50mm of clear film above the product for a clean seal.

Bag size (mm)	Typical use
135 x 200 to 165 x 250	Small portions - cheese, herbs, single steaks, snack packs
190 x 250 to 210 x 300	Standard portions - chicken breasts, fillets, deli meats
250 x 300 to 300 x 400	Larger cuts and multi-portion packs - roasts, batch meal prep
300 x 450 to 400 x 600	Bulk cuts, whole primals and large-format sous vide

Sizes shown are width x length. Stock the next size up if a cut sits tight - a crowded bag seals poorly. See every vacuum bag size.

Freezer, produce and LDPE bags

When the job is plain high-volume storage rather than a sealed portion, LDPE and freezer bags are the cheapest way to do it. LDPE (low-density polyethylene) is a soft, flexible food-grade film that handles cold well, so it suits bulk freezing, dry-goods storage and lining tubs. For how the two main films compare, see our LDPE vs HDPE poly bags guide. Produce bags - light gauge, often on a roll or as netting - are for loose fruit and veg where you want breathability and the lowest possible cost per bag.

What "food grade" and micron actually mean

"Food grade" means the film is manufactured to safely contact food - that is the baseline for every bag in this range. The number that changes with the job is micron (um), the film thickness. A higher micron is tougher and more puncture-resistant, which matters for bones, sharp edges and long freezer storage; a lower micron is fine for light, short-term use and costs less. When you are comparing two bags at a similar price, the micron rating usually explains the difference. Check it against the job before you buy a pallet of the thinner one.

Reusable carry bags after the plastic ban

Lightweight single-use plastic shopping bags have been banned in Victoria, so the compliant front-of-house option is a heavier reusable carry bag - typically 40 micron or more, built to be used many times. If your business is working through what it can and cannot hand a customer, our Victorian plastic ban guide for Melbourne businesses covers the rules in detail.

Wide view of plastic bag cartons organised on labelled shelving in a Melbourne wholesale warehouse

Standardise on two or three bag sizes you reorder often - it cuts waste and keeps your back-of-house storage simple.

Common questions

Plastic bags wholesale FAQs

What is the difference between zip-lock and vacuum seal bags?

A zip-lock bag reseals by hand so you can open and close it through a shift - ideal for prep and portioning. A vacuum seal bag is sealed once by a machine that removes the air first, which extends shelf life and prevents freezer burn. Use zip-lock for daily access and vacuum bags for storage and freezing.

What size vacuum sealer bag do I need?

Match the bag to the product and leave 30 to 50mm of clear film above it for a clean seal. Small portions suit 135 x 200mm to 165 x 250mm, standard portions 190 x 250mm to 210 x 300mm, larger cuts 250 x 300mm to 300 x 400mm, and bulk primals 300 x 450mm to 400 x 600mm. If a cut sits tight, go up a size.

Are these plastic bags food safe?

Yes. The vacuum, zip-lock, freezer, produce and LDPE bags in this range are food-grade films made to contact food safely. For tougher or longer storage jobs, choose a higher micron (thicker) film for better puncture resistance.

Can I still sell single-use plastic shopping bags in Victoria?

No. Lightweight single-use plastic shopping bags are banned in Victoria. The compliant option is a reusable carry bag of 40 micron or more. See our Victorian plastic ban guide for the full detail, and note that food-storage bags like vacuum and zip-lock bags are a separate category not affected by the carry-bag ban.

Do you sell plastic bags in bulk by the carton?

Yes - this is a wholesale range. Vacuum bags come in 100-piece packs across every size, resealable bags in cartons up to 1000 pieces, and freezer and LDPE bags in large bulk packs. Buying the carton brings the cost per bag right down.

What is the minimum order and do you deliver in Melbourne?

We sell by the carton with no minimum order. Orders over $150 ex GST ship free across Melbourne metro, and we deliver Australia-wide.