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What is Polyethylene Used for? – Polyethylene Plastic Cycle in the Circular Economy
What is Polyethylene Used for? – Polyethylene Plastic Cycle in the Circular Economy
Polyethylene (PE) is one of the most-used polymers in many industries and our daily life due to its versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness. The primary use of polyethylene is in packaging and film applications in various flexible and rigid forms. However, the use of polyethylene is not only limited to those due to its unique properties and advantages.
In this blog, we will explore the common uses of polyethylene and its sustainable cycle in the circular economy.
What is Polyethylene Plastic?
Polyethylene (PE) is a type of polymer derived from ethylene. Based on its density and molecular structure, PE is classified into different types, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). Each type has its unique properties and is preferred for suitable applications accordingly, in some cases can be used as a mixture, commonly in blown film extrusion production.
Benefits of Polyethylene Plastic
The key benefits of polyethylene come with its properties. In addition to its cost-effectiveness, polyethylene provides outstanding properties such as:
- Lightweight yet strong,
- Flexible and easy to mold and shape,
- Durable and has a longer life span,
- Resistance to chemicals and moisture,
- Recyclable and its derivatives can be blended.
When all put together, these make PE an outstanding and affordable material for wide use in plastic applications.
Applications of Polyethylene Plastic
( Polyethylene (PE) plastic film applications )
The versatility and superior benefits of polyethylene mentioned above make it a highly preferable material, especially for packaging, agricultural, transportation, construction, and consumer goods applications. Some of the specific applications made by polyethylene and its derivatives can be listed as:
- Packaging (plastic films, bags, drums, bottles)
- Agriculture (mulch films, greenhouse films)
- Transportation (stretch and shrink wraps, crates)
- Construction (pipes, tubing, geomembranes)
- Consumer goods (toys, household containers, plastic furniture)
Furthermore, thanks to the easy-to-mold and shape feature of polyethylene, several plastic molding and processing methods are used to produce PE applications. One of the most common production methods is the PE-blown film extrusion method for producing soft-flexible film materials for a wide range of applications from plastic shopping bags, film wraps to agricultural films.
Polyethylene in the Circular Economy
As one of the most used and valuable plastic polymers, polyethylene is also a concern that we should seek solutions to reduce its environmental impacts. Advancing in recycling technologies comes to aid in recovering and reusing polyethylene products. The ability to process polyethylene waste into reliable plastic recycling machines can help us to return more of this plastic waste to production lines while preserving the material features.
Polyethylene is highly recyclable and the recycled polyethylene can be used several times for manufacturing certain products, and/or used in the resin mixture to reduce the cost of the plastic products manufactured. This not only reduces our dependency on virgin polymers and reduces environmental impact, but also reduces production costs for the manufacturers and provides them a competitive advantage.
About the Author
Resul Gökpınar
International SalesResul creates up-to-date content based on his experience, gained by solving customers' problems in Türkiye and the EMEA market.