Cartons of LDPE poly bags - produce, freezer and bin liner bags - stacked on a wholesale warehouse shelf

Buying GuideKitchen & Dining

LDPE vs HDPE Poly Bags: A Wholesale Buying Guide for Australian Businesses

LDPE or HDPE? A plain-English guide to poly bags for Australian businesses - what LDPE is, how it compares to HDPE, and which produce, freezer, bin liner or packaging bag suits each job when you buy by the carton.

By The dpack Trade Desk· Updated July 2026· 9 min read

Most businesses order poly bags without ever checking whether they are getting LDPE or HDPE - and that single detail changes how the bag performs on the job. A produce bag that has to stretch around a punnet of tomatoes behaves nothing like a bin liner holding sharp kitchen waste, yet both get sold as plain plastic bags.

LDPE, or low density polyethylene, is the soft, clear, flexible film behind most food-service bags: produce bags, freezer bags, food storage bags and wet-waste bin liners. This guide explains what LDPE is, how it compares to HDPE, and which bag suits each job - so cafes, greengrocers, caterers and venue managers buying by the carton order the right stock the first time.

The short version

LDPE bags are soft, clear and flexible - best for produce, freezer storage, food packaging and wet-waste bin liners.
HDPE bags are stiffer and crinklier, with more tear strength per micron - better for dry or sharp waste and retail carry bags.
Both are food-safe when made to food-contact standard, and both are sold in wholesale cartons.

What is LDPE? Material properties in plain language

LDPE stands for low density polyethylene. It is made by polymerising ethylene under high pressure, which produces long polymer chains with plenty of branching. Those branches stop the chains packing together tightly, so the finished film is loose, soft and stretchy rather than rigid.

That loose structure is exactly why LDPE bags behave the way they do:

Flexible and stretchy - the film gives before it tears, so a bag moulds around bulky or irregular contents.
Puncture resistant - it absorbs impact rather than splitting, which matters for wet or awkward loads.
Clear - low density polyethylene can be produced transparent, so staff and customers see the contents at a glance.
Reliable seal - it heat-seals cleanly and grips well when tied or taped.
Food-safe - virgin LDPE meets food-contact standards, so it is widely used for produce and food storage.

The trade-off is heat and rigidity: LDPE softens under heat and is not as stiff as HDPE, which is where the higher-density plastic earns its place. That comparison is next.

LDPE vs HDPE: which poly bag do you need?

HDPE, or high density polyethylene, is made under low pressure, which gives straight polymer chains that pack together tightly. That tight structure makes HDPE stiffer, crinklier and stronger per micron than LDPE - the crackly singlet bags and thin produce roll bags at a supermarket checkout are classic HDPE.

Neither plastic is simply better; they suit different jobs. LDPE wins wherever flexibility, clarity and puncture resistance matter: produce, freezer storage, food packaging and wet-waste liners. HDPE wins wherever tear strength and stiffness matter more than stretch, or where you want the most bags from the least material: dry waste, retail carry bags and lightweight singlet bags. The table below sums up how the two poly bags compare on the specs operators actually weigh up.

Side by side

LDPE vs HDPE at a glance

Property	LDPE	HDPE
Texture and feel	Soft, smooth, stretchy	Stiff, thin, crinkly
Puncture resistance	High - stretches before it splits	Moderate
Tear strength	Moderate	High per micron
Clarity	Clear to transparent	Hazy, milky
Food safe	Yes, when food-grade	Yes, when food-grade
Best for	Produce, freezer, food packaging, wet-waste liners	Dry or sharp waste, retail carry bags, singlet bags
Typical thickness	15-50 micron	10-25 micron (stronger per micron)

The short answer: LDPE is the default for food-service, produce and freezer use, while HDPE suits dry or sharp waste where tear strength beats flexibility. To choose bin liner gauge by bin size specifically, see our commercial garbage bag sizes guide.

Clear LDPE produce roll bags holding fresh fruit and vegetables at a greengrocer

Produce & fresh food

Produce bags: clear LDPE for fruit, veg and grab-and-go

Produce bags are the textbook LDPE application. The film is clear so customers see the fruit and veg, flexible enough to wrap around irregular shapes, and food-safe for direct contact. Greengrocers, fruit markets, delis and caterers doing prep move through produce bags by the thousand, which is why they are bought on rolls and by the carton rather than the pack.

Clear LDPE so contents are visible without opening the bag
Stretches around apples, tomatoes, leafy greens and loose veg without splitting
Sold as produce roll bags and flat bags in high carton counts
Also used for self-serve bulk foods, bakery and takeaway grab-and-go

Whether you call them produce bags, veggie bags or bags for vegetables, the material doing the work is the same clear LDPE. Shop wholesale produce roll bags by the carton.

Clear LDPE freezer bags of portioned and labelled prepped food on a stainless steel kitchen bench

Food service & cold storage

Freezer bags and food storage: LDPE that stays flexible in the cold

Freezer bags are where LDPE really pulls ahead of stiffer plastics. It keeps its flexibility at low temperatures instead of turning brittle, so a bag of portioned stock or prepped ingredients will not crack when it is stacked, moved or knocked in a busy cold room. That makes LDPE the standard for commercial food storage.

Stays flexible and impact-resistant below freezing
Clear film so labelled contents and dates are easy to read
Suits hospitality prep and portioning, blast-chilling, catering batch cooking, canteen and aged-care meal prep
Available as flat freezer bags and resealable food storage bags in bulk cartons

For high-volume kitchens, freezer safe bags and food freezer bags are ordered by the carton to keep the cost per bag down. Shop wholesale food storage and freezer bags.

Bin liners and garbage bags: LDPE for wet waste

For kitchen and wet waste, LDPE bin liners earn their place on puncture resistance. Food scraps, liquids and awkward offcuts are exactly the loads that split a stiff bag, and LDPE stretches around them instead. A star-sealed base spreads the load and reduces leaks, which is why commercial kitchens run LDPE liners rather than the crinkly HDPE singlet type.

As a rough guide, light desk and dry waste is fine on 15-20 micron, while kitchen and wet waste wants 30-50 micron LDPE. For the full size-by-size chart matched to bin capacity, see our commercial garbage bag sizes guide. If you need certified compostable caddy liners for a FOGO green bin, our FOGO bin liners guide covers the compliance detail. To order now, shop wholesale bin liners and garbage bags.

Packaging and flat poly bags: LDPE for retail and wrap

Beyond food, flat LDPE poly bags handle everyday packaging: bagging retail purchases, storing garments, grouping parts and components, protecting printed stock and over-wrapping food for transport. The clear film doubles as a display surface, so a boutique, hobby shop or light-industrial supplier can bag a product and still show it off.

Flat poly bags, clear poly bags and clear plastic bags come in a wide range of widths and lengths, cut plain or supplied on a roll, and are ordered by the carton for anyone bagging at volume. Because these are a pure LDPE line, it pays to buy the right gauge for the weight you are carrying rather than defaulting to the thickest option. Shop wholesale LDPE plastic bags across the common packaging sizes.

Sizing

How thick should your poly bag be? A micron guide

Micron (mu) is the thickness of the film. A heavier gauge resists tears under wet or heavy loads; a lighter gauge keeps cost down for light jobs.

Use case	Recommended thickness	Bag type
Produce and light retail	15-20 micron	Clear LDPE flat or roll bag
Food storage and freezer	20-30 micron	LDPE freezer bag
Kitchen and wet waste	30-50 micron	LDPE star-seal bin liner
Heavy packaging	40-60 micron	LDPE gusset or flat bag

Buying a heavier gauge than the job needs adds cost with no benefit; going too light means double-bagging and split bags. When in doubt, match the gauge to the heaviest load the bag will actually carry.

Buying poly bags in bulk: carton quantities and wholesale pricing

Poly bags are a consumable you never want to run out of, so they reward buying in bulk. Ordering by the carton drops the cost per bag, cuts the number of reorders, and keeps a consistent spec across your sites instead of whatever a retail shelf happened to have that week. For a busy kitchen or retailer, plastic bags bulk buying is simply cheaper per use.

DPack supplies the full LDPE range - produce bags, freezer and food storage bags, bin liners and flat packaging bags - as a Melbourne plastic bag supplier for poly bags wholesale and plastic bags wholesale, with Australia-wide delivery. Carton counts run from a few hundred heavy liners up to several thousand light produce or packaging bags, so you can match order size to how fast you get through them. Free Melbourne metro delivery applies on orders over $150 ex GST, with flat-rate shipping across the rest of Australia.

The range below covers the LDPE bags trade customers reorder most.

Cartons of LDPE poly bags including produce, freezer and bin liner bags stacked in a wholesale warehouse

LDPE poly bags supplied wholesale by the carton - produce, freezer, food storage, bin liner and packaging bags, delivered across Melbourne and Australia-wide.

Common questions

LDPE and poly bag FAQs

Is LDPE the same as HDPE?

No. LDPE (low density polyethylene) and HDPE (high density polyethylene) are both polyethylene but have different structures. LDPE has a loose, branched structure that makes it soft, flexible and clear - ideal for produce, freezer and food storage bags. HDPE has a tighter structure that makes it stiffer and stronger per micron - better for dry or sharp waste and retail carry bags.

Which plastic bags are food safe?

Both LDPE and HDPE bags can be food safe when they are made to food-contact standard from virgin material. LDPE is the more common choice for food-service because its flexibility and clarity suit produce, freezer and food storage. Always confirm a product is food-grade before using it with unpackaged food.

What micron bin liner do I need for a commercial kitchen?

Commercial kitchen and wet-waste applications need at least 30 micron LDPE, usually a star-seal liner. Light desk or dry waste is fine on 15-20 micron, while heavy catering or clinical waste warrants 50 micron or more. For a full size and gauge reference by bin type, see our commercial garbage bag sizes guide.

Can I use poly bags in the freezer?

Yes - LDPE poly bags suit freezer use because LDPE stays flexible at low temperatures instead of turning brittle. For commercial food-service, confirm the bag is rated for your lowest freezer temperature and made to food-contact standard. Carton quantities are available for high-volume hospitality and catering.

What is the difference between poly bags and polythene bags?

None - they are the same product. Poly bags and polythene bags are both common Australian trade names for polyethylene plastic bags. LDPE poly bags and LDPE polythene bags refer to the same soft, flexible film. The terms are interchangeable in wholesale and food-service.

What is the minimum order for wholesale poly bags?

DPack supplies poly bags by the carton with no minimum beyond a single carton. Free Melbourne metro delivery applies on orders over $150 ex GST, and Australia-wide shipping is available. Carton counts vary by bag type and size - check each product listing for the pack count.