Recycling Polyethylene Scrap

Many people are surprised when they find out how common polyethylene really is—this material is literally the most common plastic in the world. It can be found in a vast number of everyday products: grocery bags, TV dinner trays, sandwich bags, squeeze bottles, toys, various auto parts, folding chairs, certain kinds of pipes, and much, much more. Depending on the manufacturing process used, polyethylene may be molded into a soft, flexible, lightweight material or a hard, durable substance. Given the massive amount of polyethylene scrap out there, it’s very fortunate that this plastic material is 100% recyclable.
There are many kinds of polyethylene, but two particular types comprise the majority of this kind of plastic scrap that you will encounter:

• Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) – The relatively pliable and lightweight type of polyethylene, LDPE is often translucent. Examples include cling wrap and six-pack rings used for soda pop cans.
• High-density polyethylene (HDPE) – This is stronger than LDPE, although it can be used for many of the same purposes. Like low-density polyethylene, HDPE is sometimes used for food storage, but it can also be used for more demanding applications, like meter boxes and automobile fuel tanks.

The pros at Polychem USA are experts in polyethylene recycling. If you have polyethylene materials that you would like to have recycled, feel free to contact us.