Polyethylene

A bottle made of LDPE

Polyethylene (also called polyethene, usually shortened to PE) is a thermoplastic. It is used in consumer goods, typical examples are transport wraps, and garbage bags. Other uses include pre-fabricated plastic parts, plastic tubes, and insulation of electric cables.

Polyethylene plastic wrap is usually less adhesive than Polyvinyl chloride, but this can be remedied by adding linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), which also increases the film's tensile strength. The world makes over 80 million tonnes of polyethylene per year.