Method of sealing a bag for containing a bale of compressible material

A method for sealing a bag formed from a polymeric base material having a polymeric coating material on an outer surface of the base material, one end of the bag having a pair of first and second opposing major flaps and a pair of minor flaps between the first and second major flaps, the coating material have a melting point less than a melting point of the base material, the bag further including a sealing patch having a pressure sensitive adhesive side and a heat-activated material side, the pressure sensitive adhesive side of the sealing patch adhered onto the coating material of the first major flap, the method comprising:

• filling the bag with compressible material and, afterwards, closing the end of the bag by:
• folding the minor flaps inward;
• folding the first major flap inward onto the minor flaps;
• folding the second major flap inward onto the first major flap so as to overlie the sealing patch;
• contacting the second major flap with a heater;
• and
• activating the heater to heat the sealing patch through the coating material and the base material of the second major flap such that the heat-activated material of the sealing patch activates and adheres the first and second major flaps to one another.