The first market opportunities for commercial high quality recyclable and recycled HDPE-Plastic bags began with the turn of the century when the damage to the environment was a great cause of concern. In 2003, it came into law that no more plastic bags shall be given for free and will then rather be sold and this saw a decline in the demand of the common household plastic bag. However, schools, hospitals, large buildings management entities, and correctional facilities are still in need of them and thus can’t be phased out entirely.

Italy remains the leading producer of HDPE – plastic products. The underdeveloped countries market is the primary target for their exports.

Industry Leaders: 
Dow Chemical Company, Inc. is the largest producer of HDPE – plastic products. The company’s listed on the NYSE. 

Workforce:
Although employment in the industry has declined steadily during the 2000s, there are an estimated 30,000 people employed in the HDPE – plastic products industry.