HDPE sacks and woven sacks are a part of everyone’s life in some form or another, though; they are used to hold everything from groceries to cement. HDPE sacks come in two basic types; those with a smooth finish (i.e. shopping bags) and those that are woven (i.e. bags for fertiliser). However, sacks made of HDPE have come under fire recently as they are not biodegradable; the production, sale and use of these types of bags has actually been banned in some states (Himachl Pradesh, Maharashtra). Even though these products have many disadvantages, there are still some applications in which they are an advantage.

The main advantage of HDPE sacks is that the material the bags are made of (high density polyethylene) is highly flexible. The flexibility of this material allows it to be used in many products other than plastic sacks (i.e. milk jugs and other food storage products). The main disadvantage of HDPE sacks, as mentioned previously, is that they are not biodegradable, and therefore contribute to build-up in landfills. Another disadvantage of these bags is that they tend to split if overloaded or if the contents have sharp corners.

Woven sacks are most often made of either HDPE or some kind of natural fibre (i.e. jute); both types are made by cross-weaving strands of plastic to form a solid, strong surface; often HDPE bags are laminated to create a smooth finish. The most common application of these types of bags is for storing industrial or commercial products.