Flexible intermediate bulk container with collection skirt

A method of collecting a flowable material, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) placing a container assembly on a support surface,
• said container assembly including a flexible bag defining a bag interior and a flexible collection skirt secured to the bag,
• said bag being in a collapsed configuration and said skirt being in a flat configuration during the course of step (a), such that a lower face of the skirt and a bottom wall of the bag are closely adjacent one another and the lower face of the skirt and the bottom wall of the bag are each supported by the support surface,
• said bag interior presenting an open bag top defining a periphery,
• said skirt secured to the bag at the periphery and extending outwardly therefrom,
• said skirt presenting a central skirt opening at the periphery, such that the central skirt opening and the open bag top are at least substantially congruent;
• (b) depositing a quantity of the flowable material onto the container assembly such that the quantity of flowable material is disposed over the open bag top;
• (c) after step (b), gathering the skirt such that an outer margin of the skirt shifts inward toward an upright axis of the bag;
• and
• (d) lifting the skirt to facilitate shifting of the bag from the collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration and passage of the quantity of flowable material from said central skirt opening and said open bag top into the bag interior,
• said bag interior presenting a constant bag interior cross-section when the bag is in the expanded configuration, with said bag interior cross-section being at least substantially congruent with each of said bag open top and said central skirt opening after completion of step (d).