Packaging

Buy from the UK's best range of polythene packaging, including poly bags, printed carriers and mailers, polythene rolls and eco packaging.

Polythene packaging is...

• Something we use regularly in our day-to-day lives
• Employed for a huge variety of purposes
• Used for everything from keeping our food fresh to helping us dispose of our rubbish and carrying our shopping home to posting something to a friend
• Available in a multitude of forms, including plastic bags, plastic sheeting, plastic film, bubble packaging, anti-static packaging, each of which come with a huge range of products from which to choose
• Available in a range of sizes, from the smallest grip seal bags, used for storing tiny items, to the largest rolls of polythene film, used for wrapping large or awkwardly-shaped items
• Available in a range of thicknesses, from the finest crystal clear polypropylene film used to display products for retail, to the thickest heavy duty polythene used as a damp proof membrane to underlay floors, as used in the construction industry
• Available in a range of colours or in clear polythene to suit the job in hand
• Available in bespoke shapes and sizes, or printed to match your business needs
• Also available in biodegradable polythene, which does the same job as regular polythene but with less of an impact on the environment

Common forms of packaging

Polythene packaging comes in many shapes and forms to cover a multitude of tasks. Here are a few of the most commonly-used forms of packaging:

Packing bags - clear polythene bags used for a range of tasks, from packing and displaying retail products to covering items for storage or transportation.

Display bags - popular with retailers, these crystal clear polypropylene glossy display bags will make your products sparkle!

Carrier bags - plain or printed polythene bags designed to help retail customers carry their purchases home. Available with a variety of handle styles.

Mailing bags - polythene envelopes with an integral fold-down seal that provide a lightweight and waterproof alternative to regular envelopes for sending your mail.

Garment covers - polythene covers used to protect dry cleaning or laundry during transportation or storage. Available in plain or printed polythene.

Bubble packaging - polythene sheets comprised of small air-cushioned ‘bubbles’ that protect delicate or fragile items during transport or storage. Also available in bubble bag form, complete with sealing strip.

Vacuum packaging - used in the catering industry for sealing food before cooking in a water bath (sous-vide - see below), or storing food to keep it fresh. Requires a vacuum sealer to seal the bags.

Polythene rolls - Polythene film available on the roll used for a variety of packaging purposes, including layflat tubing, shrink pallet covers and glossy display film.

Plastic sheeting - Thicker rolls of polythene, also known as builders rolls, used to cover wide areas in the building trade and by painters and decorators.

Specialist packaging

Away from the everyday carrier bag and Here are some of the more specialist types of polythene packaging. But whilst they might be less frequently used, they are no less important.

Anti-static bags - a range of bags that protect electrical equipment and small electronic components from the potential damage caused by electrostatic discharge.

Box liners - a range of large polythene liners featuring a wide gusset, used for lining boxes or drawers, or as a packing cover for large or bulky items.

Fish bags - strong clear polythene bags that come with watertight seals, used to transport goldfish and other types of fish. Popular with pet shops, aquaria and funfair stall holders.

Furniture bags - Extra large polythene bags used for covering large items of furniture, including sofas, chairs, chests of drawers and wardrobes during house removals or for storage.

Mattress covers - High strength gusseted polythene film covers used to protect mattresses. Available for single, double or king size mattresses and come complete with safety warning.

Vacuum packaging and sous-vide cooking

Every gourmet restaurant kitchen worth its salt these days will contain a vacuum sealer and a collection of vacuum bags. Not only does a vacuum sealer allow chefs to store food in an airtight environment, thus keeping it fresh for longer, but it can also be used in the cooking process.

Chefs use vacuum packaging for sous-vide cooking - a method of cooking in which food is sealed in an airtight polythene vacuum bag before being cooked in water at a specific temperature to ensure it is cooked evenly throughout, without losing any of its moisture.

The technique is similar to poaching but, by sealing the food inside a vacuum pack, it has the advantage of retaining the juices and aroma of that would be lost during poaching.

Sous vide is a technique used in many high end gourmet restaurants and is popular with well known chefs including Heston Blumenthal, Michael Carlson and Joël Robuchon.

On a roll - plastic or polythene?

Polythene packaging dispensed from a roll can be referred to by a large number of terms, covering a range of products that serve very different purposes. However, often the terms used to describe these rolls are mixed up and people can refer to plastic or polythene film when meaning the same thing, or they might use the same term - e.g. polythene rolls - when referring to two completely different products.

In the trade, for the most part, ‘plastic rolls’ is a term used to describe rolls of thicker plastic sheeting - often referred to as builders rolls - that protect large surface areas or objects from the dust, debris and generally mess caused by building, painting and decorating. Damp proof membrane, used in the early stages of the building process, is classified as a heavy duty plastic roll.

The term ‘polythene rolls’, on the other hand, would most likely be used to describe rolls of thinner polythene film used to wrap or cover items, such as shrink wrap, pallet covers, glossy polypropylene display film or - when dispensed in tube form rather than a single layer - layflat tubing.

If you’re working with someone who refers to a plastic roll or polythene roll, ask them to be a bit more specific so that you know you’ll get exactly what you need for the job in hand.

Where to buy polythene packaging

Polythene packaging manufacturers and suppliers include:

Polythene
Polythene.co.uk is a fantastic online shop from these specialist polythene manufacturers. They produce and sell a massive range of polythene packaging, bags, film, covers and accessories at unbeatable prices.
www.polythene.co.uk

Poly Bags
Discount Polybag provides a perfect one-stop shop for all your polythene packaging needs. UK-leading manufacturers and stockists of a massive range of poly bags and other plastic packaging, all at wholesale prices.
www.discountpolybag.co.uk

UK Packaging
Buy Packaging is the number one place to go to buy packaging in the UK. Whatever type of polythene packaging you need, from mailing bags to bubble wrap and crystal clear display film to heavy duty plastic sheeting, this is the place to find it.
www.buypackaging.co.uk

Polythene Packaging
Euro Polythene is a pan-European polythene packaging website. Whether you are based in the UK or mainland Europe, this website will cater for any polythene packaging needs, from stock products to bespoke goods, all at discount prices.
www.europolythene.co.uk

Polythene Bags
A website dedicated to helping you buy polythene bags at discount prices. Features a list of major suppliers and a buying guide so that you get the very best bargain prices on quality polythene bags.
www.discountpolythenebags.co.uk

Grip Seal Bags
A website to cater for all your packaging needs, e-Polybags contains tonnes of useful information on a range of polythene packaging from grip seal bags to eco-friendly bags, with a list of suppliers for you to get the best deal.
www.e-polybags.co.uk

Plastic Bag Suppliers
This specialist plastic bag website is a useful tool for anyone looking to buy a range of polythene bags or their biodegradable equivalent.
www.bagsuppliers.co.uk

Plastic Bags
Bags specialises in plastic bags. A fantastic resource for anyone looking to buy or find out more about a range of plastic bags. Contains a very useful glossary of plastic bag terms and details on bespoke plastic bag manufacturing.
www.bags.uk.com

Printed Carrier Bags
If you're looking for plastic bags personalised with your very own design, then head over to Printed Bags, which provides a wealth of useful information on printed carrier bags and how to make your business stand out from the crowd.
www.printedbags.org.uk

Plastic Bag
Plastic Bags Direct is a website dedicated to plastic packaging and plastic bags. Featuring lots of information on how plastic bags are made, what packaging is used for and where to buy it.
www.plasticbagsdirect.co.uk

Cheap Poly Bags
This website describes itself as the "ultimate guide" to sourcing cheap polybags and it's hard to argue. A veritable treasure trove of information on plastic bags and where to buy them at discount prices.
www.discountpolybags.co.uk

Research & Resources

To find out more about polythene packaging, including details of how it is manufactured, the various purposes it serves and how to recycle it, please visit:

PackagingKnowledge: The undisputed polythene packaging encyclopedia, containing vast amounts of information and detailed articles on every type of polythene packaging.

Goldstork: Read hand-picked information and specially selected features on a huge range of polythene packaging products on this free 'best-of-the-web' directory.

PlasticBags.uk.com: The number one polythene packaging directory in the UK allows manufacturers to list products for free, whilst shoppers can browse through a broad range of websites specialising in all types of polythene packaging.

Eco-friendly packaging

Packaging is such an integral part of everyday life in the 21st century that it’s hard to imagine a world without it. But with global warming and other environmental concerns becoming more and more important, many people look to replace their regular packaging with eco-friendly alternative.

What is eco-packaging?

Eco-packaging is a form of packaging that, rather than using traditional polythene, uses alternative materials that are biodegradable, thereby having less of an impact on the environment.

A wide range of eco-friendly packaging is manufactured today from polybio and biodegradable material, that will completely biodegrade when placed in regular composting conditions, landfill or into prolonged contact with soil.

Types of eco-packaging

You can have one eye on the environment while doing a wide range of household tasks these days and there’s eco-packaging to help you along the way.

Popular types of eco-packaging include biodegradable bin bags, refuse sacks and wheelie bin liners, kitchen waste bags and compost bags, biodegradable mailing bags, biodegradable clear bags, biodegradable carrier bags and even dog poo bags.

Interesting information on packaging

Global Rigid Plastic Packaging Market to Record a Robust Growth Rate of 5.6% During 2019 - 2026

Rigid polythene suppliers packaging has expanded not simply because it presents neatly on shelf, nevertheless because the format solves a set of stubborn engineering problems that fibre and flexible laminates often struggle to address in combination. A well-specified tub, tray or case offers predictable impact performance, tight dimensional repeatability and barrier behaviour that can be tuned through polymer selection, wall part and micron-specific gauging; that matters when line speeds are high and the penalty for buckle, creep or panel distortion is a rejected consignment rather than a cosmetic nuisance. On the warehouse floor, the attraction is equally practical: lower tare weight than plenty competing rigid substrates improves volumetric efficiency in transit, while consistent stack geometry assists pallet stability and tidier select-face efficiency amid replenishment. The more serious discussion now sits downstream, where growth in rigid formats is being shaped by material discipline rather than sheer tonnage. Mono-material streams, cleaner melt-flow consistency in reprocessing and the amortised energy case for containers that survive handling without secondary bagging all transport more weight than the old rhetoric about durability alone; the industrial reality is that rigid polythene suppliers remains in favour where it mitigates damage, facilitates automated handling and can be brought back into a circular system without compromising pack performance.

polythene suppliers packaging remains a decidedly engineered product rather than a commodity afterthought; the contrast is normally found in gauge discipline, seal integrity and the quiet consistency of melt-flow through the line. In practice, high-density and linear-low-density blends are selected not simply for tensile performance, nevertheless for how they behave below secondary bagging, compression on the pallet and the repetitive abrasion that occurs at the select-face. Poorly controlled film tends to telegraph its weaknesses fastsplit seals, excessive stretch, static cling that hampers collation, and unnecessary tare weight that erodes volumetric efficiency across a consignment. Better converting mitigates those frictions through tighter micron-specific tolerances, more predictable surface resistivity where fast packing is involved, and closure formats that withstand repeated handling without distorting the pack geometry. There is also a commercial reality which seasoned operatours recognise immediately: mono-material structures, where specification enables, simplify recovery streams and improve recyclability, while downgauged films with stable mechanical properties reduce resin draw without inviting failure in transit. That balancing actbetween warehouse robustness, line-speed reliability and circular-economy pressureis where competent polythene suppliers packaging earns its retain.

Specialist packaging at the foam-conversion stop of the trade is rarely a matter of simply cutting inserts to shape; it turns on how the material behaves below repeated compression, how cleanly it can be profiled at tight tolerances, and whether the finished pack survives the indignities of the select-face, the pallet and the last consignment leg without shedding dust, static or dimensional accuracy. In practice, that means matching cell structure, density and rebound properties to the item's mass and fragility, then balancing that against tare weight, cube utilisation and line-side handlingparticularly where secondary bagging, anti-static requirements or abrasion control are in play. The more advanced graphite-loaded polyurethane grades now specified in technically demanding seating and component applications bring a alternative set of considerations: thermal performance, melt-flow consistency in precursour processing, and the ability to maintain repeatable part thicknesses when converting complex geometries. There is also a sharp commercial logic below the engineering; mono-material formats simplify downstream recovery, leaner foam profiles improve volumetric efficiency across the pallet footprint, and a design that amortises material use above multiple handling cycles tends to reduce waste far more effectively than a nominally cheaper pack built without regard for the warehouse floor.

Vacuum Packaging Market 2021 Analysis by Competitive Landscape, Product, Application, Geography, Growth Drivers, and Future Outlook 2025

Vacuum packaging has moved well beyond the simplistic view of air removal and now sits at the intersection of barrier science, line efficiency and stock protection. In practice, the earn comes from controlling oxygen ingress and pack geometry with far tighter tolerance than normal loose-occupy or pillow formats enable; once the residual atmosphere is reduced, microbial activity and oxidative spoilage are materially suppressed, which is why protein processours, prepared-meal packers and pharmaceutical contract lines continue to specify micron-specific gauging and carefully tuned seal windows rather than treating film selection as an afterthought. The material question is not ever trivial: high-density polymer chains and co-extruded webs are selected not merely for puncture resistance, nevertheless for melt-flow consistency amid conversion, seal integrity below draw-down, and surface behaviour on high-speed equipment where static, web tracking and jaw pollution can quietly erode output. On the warehouse floor, the benefits are equally prosaic and more persuasivereduced pack volume improves volumetric efficiency, lowers tare weight impact across a consignment, and stabilises pallet formation by removing the ballooning that undermines case stacking and secondary bagging. Even the circular economy discussion has become more technically grounded; there is growing pressure to replace difficult laminates with mono-material polythene suppliers structures where the barrier brief enables, because recyclability only grasps if the pack survives filling, distribution and select-face handling without compromise, and because amortised energy across the full life of a protected food item often tells a more honest story than resin tonnage alone.

Bubble packaging is often misread as mere impact protection, when its thermal behaviour is arguably the more fascinating bit; the trapped air cells interrupt conductive heat transport with surprising effectiveness, provided the bubble geometry, film gauge and seal integrity are properly controlled. In practice, that means a laminated polythene suppliers structure with consistent melt-flow properties amid extrusion, because uneven bubble formation or thin-spotting in the web fast compromises both cushioning and insulation. On the warehouse floor, the attraction is not only product protection nevertheless volumetric efficiency: a lightweight format with negligible tare weight can sit within a packing bench operation without dragging down select-face efficiency or pushing a consignment into a higher dimensional band. There is, nevertheless, the normal engineering trade-offonce secondary bagging, tape pollution or mixed-material laminates enter the stream, mono-material recyclability becomes less straightforward, even though simple polythene suppliers buildings remain comparatively workable within circular recovery systems. That is why the better-spec material tends to balance air retention, puncture resistance and downgauged film use, not simply to save resin, nevertheless to maintain thermal lag while reducing feedstock demand and the amortised energy tied up in replacement packs.

Packing Bags Trade

This treemap shows the share of countries that export Packing Bags.

The Future of Rigid Plastic Packaging to 2022

Current barrier technologies for rigid plastic packaging, 2017

polythene suppliers packaging sits in that awkward nevertheless highly engineered space between material science and warehouse arithmetic: the film has to dash cleanly on conversion lines, grasp gauge across the web, seal without burn-through and still behave predictably once it reaches the select-face. In practice, that means attention to polymer density, melt-flow consistency and surface treatment, rather than a gross reliance on heavier film. A well-specified sack, liner or secondary bagging format can reduce tare weight while maintaining puncture resistance, improve pallet stability through controlled slip, and keep safe stock from moisture ingress without adding unnecessary volumetric bulk to the consignment. Static control is another quiet battleground; untreated film can attract dust, misfeed on automated lines or cling amid manual packing, so surface resistivity and additive balance matter as much as nominal thickness. The circular economy argument is equally technical: mono-material polythene suppliers formats tend to be easier to recover than laminated alternatives, provided inks, adhesives and closures do not compromise the waste stream, and downgauging only makes sense when failure rates do not rise and offset the saving through damaged products. Good polythene suppliers packaging is so less about conspicuous strength than calibrated restraint enough polymer in the proper place, consistent enough for machinery, and simple enough to re-enter feedstock without turning the recycling line into a sorting problem.

Specialist packaging machinery for food, beverages and cosmetics increasingly sits at the awkward junction between hygiene engineering, line economics and materials science; a filling or wrapping system is no longer judged simply by cycle rate, nevertheless by how well it handles downgauged polythene suppliers, lacquered board, laminated barrier webs and high-clarity films without scuffing, wrinkling or compromising seal integrity. In practice that means servo-driven motion profiles tuned to the behaviour of the pack material, jaw temperatures held within narrow process windows, and change-part geometry that maintains registration even when stock varies fractionally from batch to batch. The warehouse consequences are only as tangible: poor pack formation unsettles pallet stability, excessive headspace punishes volumetric efficiency, and avoidable secondary bagging adds tare weight as well as labour at the select-face. For liquids, powders and viscous cosmetics, the engineering challenge often lies in the unglamorous details drip control, clean-in-place accessibility, anti-static handling, dust containment and repeatable torque application on closures because small deviations become rejects at scale. The better machinery builders are so designing around mono-material recyclability and feedstock variability, allowing for recycled-content films with less predictable melt-flow consistency, while still maintaining throughput, hygiene segregation and fast format changeovers. This is where specialist packaging stops to be a procurement type and becomes a production discipline: a calibrated interaction between product rheology, surface resistivity, micron-specific gauging and the hard arithmetic of consignment-prepared output.

Revenue attributed to vacuum packaging by application is less a tidy commercial type than a reflection of hard operational physics: meat, cheese, sterile components and moisture-sensitive assemblies all impose alternative requirements on the same basic act of air removal. In chilled food lines, the limiting factours are rarely the chamber machine alone; film draw, seal pollution, oxygen transmission rate and puncture resistance determine whether a consignment survives stacking, condensation and cross-dock handling without purge loss or pack relaxation. High-barrier laminates still dominate where shelf-life modelling is unforgiving, yet mono-material polythene suppliers structures are gaining ground as converters improve melt-flow consistency, micron-specific gauging and coextruded barrier performance without manufacturing an unmanageable recycling stream. For industrial and healthcare applications, the discussion shifts towards surface resistivity, particulate control and validated seal integrity, with secondary bagging often used to separate clean handling from outer transit abuse. The warehouse economics are equally prosaic: tighter packs improve volumetric efficiency, reduce tare weight against rigid formats and stabilise pallet patterns, nevertheless excessive film downgauging can invite corner failures, leakers and select-face disruption. The more mature users now treat vacuum packaging not as a consumable line item nevertheless as a system of material selection, dwell time, residual oxygen tolerance and stop-of-life treatment, with revenue following those applications where amortised energy, waste reduction and stock life can be demonstrated on the floor rather than merely asserted in a procurement schedule.