HDPE Film can be made from virgin HDPE, or reprocessed scrap HDPE. Either type of HDPE is generally suitable for almost any HDPE film application, with the exception of products that will come in contact with food. These types of products must be made with virgin HDPE, which is the only type approved for food contact applications. Reprocessed HDPE generally contains some contaminants, and the fact that it has been exposed to a wide range of substances during its life time makes it potentially unsafe for the consumer if it comes in contact with food products.
Virgin HDPE creates a very shiny, translucent film, whereas reprocessed HDPE is generally used to make colored film bags. For instance, black is a favorite amongst manufacturers who use reprocessed HDPE film, as black covers the murky color that reprocessed HDPE often has due to the mixing of dyes in the scrap HDPE stream from which it was created. This is not true of all reprocessed HDPE however, and greatly depends on the source of the scrap HDPE used.
Scrap HDPE comes in two main types, post consumer HDPE, which is collected at kerbside collection points and recycling depots, and is often contaminated with labels, various plastics, dirt, food scraps, metals, and other materials. This HDPE requires a good deal of washing and filtering before it is ready to be used for new applications. It is also often exposed to dyes which will tint the final product regardless of washing and filtering.
The other kind of scrap HDPE is post industrial scrap HDPE. This is HDPE which has undergone a melting and molding process, but which was deemed to be surplus or deformed. This is a potentially excellent source of scrap HDPE because it retains its translucent color, and has not been exposed to as many contaminants as HDPE which has been used for consumer applications.
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