Cover Trend: Plastic Bags as Treasure, Not Trash

We see cover design trends come and go. Some take hold for reasons that make sense–the colorful blobs aesthetic from a few years ago was meant to look good in photos and as thumb nails on social media. Others may not have as broad application but pop up enough to make you pause and wonder what led to the inspiration.

This new trend is a big question mark–enter the plastic bag. Yes, the kind you may need to pay a small fee to acquire when you’re out grocery shopping. It’s popping up across genres and age ranges.

• So far, each iteration has taken advantage of the bag’s opportunity for text–where you’d normally see the store’s name–to say something different.

Bagging it in 2026 and 2027 so far:

→ Returns and Exchanges by Kayla Rae Whitaker uses the plastic bag as both a means of introducing what the book’s about–the ups and downs of a family who owned a chain of department stores–and to showcase the book’s title, author, and accolades. 

→ Thank You For Remembering by Emily Harding cleverly winks at the “thank you” often printed on bags while subtly noting that the book is a romance featuring amnesia (and intentional or not, this bag looks both like a plastic one and a reusable canvas tote).

→ Say Less by Lamar Giles (out February 2, 2027) plays into the premise of the book, with the plastic bag housing an array of materials related to conspiracy, murder, secrets, and a small town’s dark underbelly. 

It may be a microtrend more than a full-blown, capital-T Trend, but it sure is a fun one. None of these covers will be confused with one another and each conveys what the reader is about to experience inside the story. 

Also? It’s nice to see plastic bags like these as art, rather than as litter.