Choosing the right Polythene Thickness

Before we can select the correct Gauge polythene we must first understand how it is measured. The most common measurement of polythene is Micron which is a 1000th of a millimetre.

There is another method of measuring the thickness or ‘density’ of polythene, which is Gauge. Gauge is 4 times Micron, so a polythene sheet that is 30 microns thick will have a Gauge of 120 microns.

Now that we understand how the thickness is measured we can start to select the density that works best for your needs.

A 30 micron
pallet cover will usually work fine as a one-use cover, which is intended to be discarded after being used. You can go lower, and even go as low as a 15 micron cover, but the quality won’t be anywhere near as high and you run the risk of it having holes. A pallet cover 15 microns thick is very likely to tear, and this can lead to dust or moisture getting in and spoiling your goods.

The other end of the scale is using a cover that is 200 microns or above. At this density the cover will be much more durable and should be good for multiple uses provided you are careful when removing and storing it. The downside is it is going to be more expensive than the single use but reliable 30 micron cover, and significantly more expensive than an unreliable 15 micron cover.

When it comes to security bags a thicker bag really is better, therefore we strongly recommend 38 micron or above. You just don’t want to run the risk of these splitting. A damaged security bag isn’t secure at all.

Rubble sacks are another product where you really need a thicker grade of polythene. The thin black sacks you can pick up in the supermarket really won’t hold up when it comes to holding construction waste or gardening waste. They are easily punctured and split and can very easily spill rubbish everywhere. Our U5 Rubble Sacks are rated at a hefty 95 microns and are resistant to both tearing and puncturing.

Beware of unscrupulous merchants, who do not label their polythene correctly, and may try to pass off inferior quality plastics to unsuspecting consumers.