Plastics Recycling Market Guide

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE, #4)

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) is used predominantly in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility, and relative transparency. LDPE has a low melting point, making it popular for use in applications where heat sealing is necessary (Plastics Technology Center).

Typical End Uses

Typically, LDPE is used to manufacture flexible films such as those used for plastic retail bags and garment dry cleaning and grocery bags. LDPE is also used to manufacture some flexible lids and bottles, and it is widely used in wire and cable applications for its stable electrical properties and processing characteristics (American Plastics Council, adapted from Modern Plastics Encyclopedia, 1995).

The CIWMB maintains a recycled-content product database, which provides company names (manufacturers, distributors, etc.) for selected household and industrial products.

Supply

In 1996, 7.7 billion pounds of virgin LDPE resin were produced in the U.S. In March 1996 Franklin & Associates estimated for EPA the amount of LDPE in products discarded in the municipal waste stream at 5.6 million tons for 1994. Franklin estimated that 800,000 tons were recycled nationwide in 1994.

See also the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Web site for information and data on LDPE plastic production and recycling in the U.S.

Demand

Estimates are not available for the amount of LDPE postconsumer resin (PCR) used as manufacturing feedstock in California. In general, recycled polyethylene could be used in the manufacture the following commodities:

• Bottles, caps
• Packaging, film, bags
• Cable jacketing, pipe
• Toys
• Typewriter ribbons
• Disposable house ware
• General commodity items
• Irrigation and plumbing pipes and joints

Links

• National Association for Plastic Container Recovery (NAPCOR) is a national trade association dedicated to promoting the collection and recycling of PETE (#1) plastic.
• Clean Washington Center is the organization in the State of Washington that develops markets for recycled materials.
• American Plastics Council (APC) is the major national trade association representing the U.S. plastics industry on resource conservation issues.
• Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) is a trade association of over 2,000 members representing all segments of the plastics industry in the United States.

Last updated: September 18, 2008