Ever wondered how big a polythene bag can get? How about – which can reach GIANT widths of 9600mm. That’s 9.6 metres, or longer than a double decker bus!
And obviously, this is going to be a pretty large polythene bag, by any measure. Sheets can be made to the same width, too, for additional versatility in applications like construction membranes, or to package very large sections of flat materials.
But this isn’t the biggest size you could make large polythene bags (or sheets) to… Far from it. Let’s investigate!
What is the BIGGEST possible size for large polythene bags?
The limits on how big a polythene bag can be are a bit fuzzy and vague – because it’s a little bit like asking “how long is a piece of string?”
You could say the sky’s the limit – because if you were so inclined, and had the budget, you could take large sections of polythene and just weld them together, over and over, until there was no polythene left in the world.
Welds and gussets are frequently used to make large polythene bags, because they augment the shape to better fit certain products, add additional strength, and can extend continuously.
There’s a catch, though. Welding sections of polythene together simply to extend the range can weaken the structure if not done correctly – and when you’re working with something so big and unwieldy, strength is a goal. This is why one-piece designs are generally favoured; they’re simple, strong, and easier to make.
But welds and seams aren’t inherently bad. In fact, introducing seams and welds is fine, if by design. Gusseted bags are strong because the welds are precise, made with proper tooling, and made at structurally wise points. If you were trying to weld the biggest polythene bag in the world, it would probably be a freehand affair – and even the world’s best welders would struggle to make something that large!
An infinitely large polythene bag is technically possible, if you had infinite resources and space – and the right tools.
Okay… Now, you might be wondering; “why would you need an extra large polythene bag that big?”.
Okay… but why?
Well, there’s furniture bags, for a start. They’re more popular than you’d think!
There are other use cases for extremely large polythene bags that are less obvious. Hazardous waste bags, for example, or bags for transporting large aquatic animals.
How about large asbestos removal bags? Disturbing and breaking up sections of asbestos could cause a risk to health – so transporting asbestos waste in larger bags may be preferable.
Large polythene bags are also useful for scientific sampling, where samples must be separated. And don’t forget about police evidence bags – which must be able to show any signs of tampering, and hold a variety of different sized (and shaped) items in a forensically sealed fashion.
Is there a link between large polythene bags and heavy duty polythene – or can you go big and light?
Large polythene bags can be made with any gauge of polythene, but how useful they’ll be depends on what’s going inside them. A sofa bag made of light duty polythene is probably going to tear and notch quickly – but that very same bag could happily store a billion foam packing peanuts!
Read more – polythene thickness chart
Due to bigger things generally being heavier, there is commonly a link between the size of the polythene bag and the gauge of material used to make it. But it’s all down to the packaging needs we’re trying to meet; and sometimes, that means going big and light.
Whatever the challenge, NPF Packaging has the polythene to rise above it. All you have to do is tell us what you need.
Large polythene bags; custom sizing, blends, colours – and more
NPF Packaging creates high-performance large polythene bags. Get custom blends, colours and prints – for your perfect polythene.
Get a quote now, or call us on 01773 820415 to start designing your polythene packaging.
