Do you know which plastics are safe for your customers? If you sell food, drinks, medications, or other consumable goods, it’s important to know the safest plastics to contain those products so that they’ll retain their integrity – and transport your goods from production to purchase and beyond without adding unnecessary chemicals.
Which plastics are best? Read on to see which materials are best for your food-grade plastic bags and containers!
Polyethylene
Polyethylene is one of the most widely-used plastics in food containment. Great for both product packaging and serving pieces, it is often seen as the main component of plastic water bottles and other sturdy food and beverage containers. The higher-density version of this plastic – sometimes referred to as HDPE – creates the opaque, light-defensive plastic that we often see in milk jugs and medication bottles. Polyethylene is the best choice for all of these applications, as it does not leach chemicals into the products it contains and does not compromise their quality between production and purchase.
What is LDPE?
Polyethylene is a great choice for food containment, but it may be too thick and rigid for some applications. In this case, low-density polyethylene – also known as LDPE – can be used for everything from creating the soft, flimsy bags that hold produce and bread to coating the interior of disposable drinkware and much more. With all the food-safe properties of polyethylene without the bulk, LDPE is the perfect choice for these uses.
Recycled? Not Here
Recycling is a wonderful process that cuts down on waste and prevents millions of pounds of pollution every year. It’s a great idea to recycle your plastic food packaging if possible. However, you should never choose a recycled product for your food containment; choose virgin resins and do your part by recycling your plastics after use.
The top priority when purchasing food-grade plastic bags from a plastics retailer is always to preserve and present your products properly while maintaining customer safety. Let that be your guide in choosing and your packaging choices will never be wrong!
