Finding the Right Material
Plastic bags or polythene bags are not all made from the same material.
It's not a one size fits all and often it's one of the most environmentally friendly products for the job. (Yes I just said that plastic bags can be environmentally friendly, bear with me.) Each type of polythene has a set of specific properties that makes it unique and perfect for the job.
We'll go into a little more detail to help you choose the right one for you.
PE Polythene Plastics
PE is very durable, bags made from PE last and are highly waterproof.
HDPE
HDPE is distinctive by both its look and sound. It has an opaque appearance like frosted glass and makes a very distinctive, satisfying crackle sound when you manipulate it. HDPE can be made very thin, doesn't stretch, has high tensile strength, provides a waterproof barrier and can be low cost, but it could be more likely to tear than the better known LDPE
LDPE
LDPE is probably the polythene you are most familiar with. This is the polythene that you piled up in your cupboard or use for your rubbish bags. It's not good for heavy-duty or sharp sided items (we've all had that moment as you put something into a bag and it tears) but is less likely to rip than HDPE.
MDPE
MDPE is the most popular polythene we produce at Recyclable Polythene. It's used across film, sacks, carrier bags and is especially popular for the food supply chain. MDPE is still highly flexible but far stronger than LDPE, it also has a high resistance to heat.