Most Common Materials Used to Make Plastic Shopping Bags

Whether you own a retail store, grocery store, or any other store business, you will be required to have shopping bags. Now, there are a number of options available out there that you can choose from.

But the most common option that businesses around the world choose is plastic shopping bags. There is just a wide range of benefits associated with the use of plastic shopping bags for businesses. 

When it comes to plastic bags, they are available in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and other physical characteristics.

However, these are not the only characteristics of a plastic bag. You can also choose plastic shopping bags for your business according to the material used to make those plastic bags.

There are various materials that are used to make plastic bags. These materials come with their own benefits and features. If you want to make sure that you are making the right choice, you must get familiar with these materials. 

Here are some of the most common materials used to make plastic bags.

Material 1. HDPE

We are starting this list of materials with HDPE, or High-Density Polyethylene. It is the most common material that is used to create plastic bags all over the world.

Straight chains of molecules are used to make this polymer material. The straight chains also have a linear structure from the starting point to the end. However, there is some little branching. 

The dense molecular structure of this HDPE results in plastic bags that are opaque and lightweight. But that does not mean that the plastic bags are not sturdy. In fact, these bags are extremely sturdy.

HDPE bags have high tensile strength, which allows them to hold a weight that is many times greater than their own weight. 

Material 2. LLDPE

Linear Low-Density Polyethylene is the second most common material used to make plastic bags. Bags created using LLDPE material are mainly food bags, garbage bags, and newspaper bags.

This material does not have branching polyethylene chains. Even their bags’ tensile strength is lower than HDPE bags. Even so, there is no difference in the strength of both types of bags. 

One great advantage of LLDPE bags is that they are cost-effective. Plastic bags made using this material are best suited for refrigerator storage. However, they are also widely used in clothing stores.

Material 3. PP

Polypropylene, or PP, is a material that comes with high chemical resistance. Not only this, but this material also has high strength and a high melting point. That is why plastic bags made using PP are great for hot-fill liquid or food packaging work. 

When compared to other materials mentioned above, PP bags are less opaque. That means it becomes much easier to identify the contents inside these bags. They are a great choice for anyone who owns a retail store.

If you want to choose the best plastic shopping bags for your store, you should be familiar with their materials. The above-mentioned materials are some of the most common ones that you must know.