The term “Clear” is used in a wide variety of plastic bags, including those offered for sale on our site. The layman’s definition may not always match the industry definition therefore this explanation is very important to helping new buyers identify the right product for the right application.

Here we will review the various products classified as Clear and attempt to define them without getting too technical. If your requirement is critical, please contact our trained Customer Service personnel to better identify that which you need.

Poly Bags, Poly Tubing and Poly Sheeting - We sell industrial polyethylene products, and both LDPE and LLDPE are commonly referred to here as “Poly.” Our specifications are functional, not aesthetic, being formulated to perform to industry standards or better for strength.

Lower gauges will usually have more clarity than those that are thicker, but no clear poly product that is “cloudy” or “milky” is automatically defective. Even if you have received previous orders that were satisfactory to you, a change in raw materials can result in a change in the degree of clarity that does not qualify our product as “out of spec” or “defective.”

LLDPE is commonly added to the raw materials of poly products for industrial applications during production. In stock products, this will reduce the clarity, but you will not have a problem identifying the item(s) enclosed in these products.

High Density (HDPE) Bags and Sheets - These products are stronger with less thickness than their poly brethren. Some who market the same products refer to them as “natural” instead of “clear,” as they may have no color additive, but they will have a heavy haze in their appearance.

These products still have good “contact clarity,” as the contents will be easily identifiable when they are in contact with the bags or sheets, but they aren’t “pretty.” In other words, they have almost no gloss and would make a poor retail package in most cases.

Poly Nylon Vacuum Pouches and Tubing - With the exception of those classified as “channeled,” these products have very good clarity. They are designed for very specific applications, and the same raw materials that make them work are those that make them quite clear.

Note: Channeled Poly Nylon Vacuum products are equally clear on one side, but not on the side with the channels. The channels make them very hazy.

Polypropylene Bags – This product is a bit more challenging to define, and we recommend higher caution in selecting a product for clarity-critical applications. There are several different types of polypropylene (a.k.a. PP) of which we offer three.

We will define the clarity of the three different polypropylene products offered by Discount Plastic Bags.

• Blown Polypropylene – This product features clarity equal to or better than the highest quality LDPE. It has other benefits over poly bags that you’ll find defined on the pages of the PP product categories.
• Coextruded Polypropylene – This product also features clarity equal to or better than the highest quality LDPE. It has other benefits over poly bags that you’ll find defined on the pages of the PP product categories.
• BOPP Bags – This product offers the highest clarity and gloss of all polypropylene bags. It is the most highly recommended product for applications where these characteristics are critical. Laminated Stand Up Pouches
• Both our PET/PVDC and PET/LLDPE Laminated Stand Up Pouches feature outstanding clarity and gloss approaching that of the BOPP defined above.

Laminated Stand Up Pouches – Both our PET/PVDC and PET/LLDPE Laminated Stand Up Pouches feature outstanding clarity and gloss approaching that of the BOPP defined above.

As our product offering expands, we will update this page. If you don’t see your product of interest here or need professional guidance, please contact us. We will be more than happy to provide you with the information and/or samples needed to make an informed decision that will meet your application’s requirement.

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