Introduction to Recycled Polyethylene

Recycled Polyethylene is made by taking plastic that has been disposed and regrinding it into usable resin. It can then be blended with virgin polyethylene, extruded into film and converted into bags and tubing.  Recycled Polyethylene is not as clear as virgin polyethylene.

There are two types of recycled polyethylene:

• Post-Consumer Recycled Polyethylene (PCR PE) are plastics made from the consumer stream of waste – bottles, caps and recycled plastic bags collected in commercial and residential recycling programs. Due to the variety of polyethylene materials used, PCR PE can have a wide range of densities. Due to these inconsistencies, PCR PE has to be blended with virgin polyethylene to make film. And since the recycled materials are contaminated with impurities (dirt, cellulose, and inorganic materials), the amount of virgin PE that needs to be blended is dependent on the quality of the PCR PE.
• Post-Industrial Recycled Polyethylene (PIR PE and aka Pre-Consumer Polyethylene) – polyethylene film leftover from either extruding film or converting it into bags and tubing. Resin makers do not face the same challenges making PIR PE as they do PCR PE due to minimal impurities (dust) and absence of density variations. Therefore, PIR PE made using 100% recycled content is possible.

Although, Green Packaging Inc.’s Post-Industrial Recycled Poly Bags consist entirely of recycled content, some customers prefer Post-Consumer Recycled Poly Bags since they believe its use has a bigger impact on helping the environment.