Is plastic tarpaulin recyclable?
We can find a plastic tarp used in many places with many purposes from agriculture uses, animal nurture, vehicle covering, temporary tent houses to transportation and logistics areas. After a long time, the plastic tarps will be faded, worn or damaged, which can not be used in their original purposes. Some people may throw it away into a trash bin, but it seems to be a waste. If we know how to recycle a plastic tarp into other applications in our home, a tarp will still be used for a long time with certain advantages.
1. What is tarpaulin?
Tarpaulin, or tarp, is a heavy-duty, waterproof fabric, originally made of tarred cotton canvas and used by sailors. Today, tarps are commonly made of plastics such as polyethylene. Tarpaulin is a highly versatile fabric, and some common uses include:
- To cover equipment and vehicles outdoors, protecting them from rain, snow, dust, etc.
- As a groundsheet or rainproof cover when camping
- In scaffolding to protect work areas from weather damage
- To store lumber or a protective liner for rail cars and trucks
- As a picnic mat or sheet for hauling yard debris such as leaves or trimmings
- In emergency situations such as to cover a broken window or damaged roof
- As a makeshift shelter for disaster relief
There are three main types of tarpaulin: canvas tarps, polyethylene (poly or PE) tarps, and vinyl (PVC) tarps. When compared with canvas tarps and vinyl tarps, poly tarps are the least expensive of the three. They are also waterproof and rot proof as opposed to canvas tarps which are only water resistant and may rot in very damp conditions. Poly tarps are a great choice for everyday use, and when UV treated they hold up well in extended outdoor use. However, they are not as durable as vinyl or canvas tarps.
2. How to choose a proper plastic tarpaulin?
In addition to selecting a suitable color and size, note whether the tarp is graded light-duty, medium-duty, or heavy-duty. Technical specifications of the tarp may include:
- Weight: Often noted in grams per square meter or ounces per square yard.
- Thickness: Noted in mils, where a mil is a thousandth of an inch.
- Denier: A unit of weight for the yarn filament, equal to the weight in grams of 9000 meters of the yarn.
- Weave count: How densely the polyethylene yarns are woven together per square inch.
Thickness, denier, and weave count are not so important when considered independently. The most important metric is weight since the combination of thickness, denier, and weave count will yield a certain weight. The heavier the tarp, the more heavy-duty it is.
Weight is a good metric of durability when choosing between different tarps of the same brand, but be careful when choosing between Brand A and Brand B. Don’t just look at weight and choose the cheapest brand. Some manufacturers use a high percentage of fillers and recycled PE to cut costs, and this will yield a poor quality tarp even though it may be heavy. This is why it’s important to go with a trusted manufacturer.
Note also whether the tarp is UV resistant (UV stabilized), as most poly tarps are. If the tarp is not UV resistant, it may degrade within a few months of continued exposure to sunlight. If the tarp will be used at a construction site or close to a flame, you should also buy a flame retardant (FR) tarp. However, FR tarps are not fire proof. They will melt if continuously exposed to flame, but will not fuel the fire and facilitate combustion. FR tarps would stop burning after the source of the flame has been removed, whereas non-FR tarps could continue to burn after the flame has been removed.
3. Ways to recycle plastic tarpaulin
It is understandable for people if they want to keep an old tarp instead of tossing an entire tarp in the trash. While that tarp is no longer serving its original purpose, people can repurpose an old tarp by trying out the following handy ways to reuse it.
- Raised Bed Gardening
Raised beds made from an recycled tarp make it easier to avoid excessive weeds and insect pests. Cut the unwanted tarp to fit the bottom of the raised bed. It will help kill the weeds and grass below your garden area. A layer of crushed stone and sand will help avoid water building up and causing root rot.
- Sandbox Bottom
Secure a section of the trimmed tarp to the bottom of a child’s sandbox. It will deter ants from trying to turn the sandbox into their home. The tarp will also keep grass and weeds from growing into the sandbox.
- Sun Shade
Speaking of sandboxes, Taking a smaller section of tarp and attaching each corner to four bamboo poles will also be a way to recycle a tarp. Place that tarp over a sandbox or child’s pool to keep children from getting too much sun.
- Charcoal Grill or Patio Fire Pit Cover
People can also recycle an old tarp by cutting it down to fit over an outdoor patio fire pit or charcoal grill, which helps fire pit or grill stays dry. This method also helps prevent rust.
- Firewood Tote
Making a firewood tote from an old tarp is a good idea, by follow these steps: take a strip of canvas. Aim for a strip that’s about 4 by 3 feet. Sew all of the edges and add handles on each shorter end using a thick section of rope. When people in firewood, they have a log carrier that is durable and easy to use.
- Fall/Winter Shrub Protectors
HDPE recycled tarps can be used as protectors for shrubs that are close to the road. Salt and sand during the winter can damage trees and shrubs. Use old tarps to cover them and protect them from winter damage.
4. Masterbatch in tarpaulin manufacturing process
Masterbatch is an important raw material in HDPE tarpaulin manufacturing process. Manufacturers use CaCO3 filler masterbatch mainly for reduction of material cost, color masterbatch for color making and additives masterbatch for other properties improvement. Masterbatch appears to bring the best solution to HDPE tarpaulin manufacturers regarding saving production cost and enhancement products properties as well.
As a leading manufacturer of CaCO3 filler masterbatch, color masterbatch and additives masterbatch in Vietnam with over 13 years of experience, US Masterbatch is proud to supply high-quality masterbatch with competitive rates to numerous manufacturers in 80 countries around the world, in which HDPE tarpaulin companies play a big scale in exported quantity.
HDPE based masterbatch from US Masterbatch bring outstanding features as below:
- Reduce production costs
- Increase hardness and durability as well as not losing color and transparency of the product.
- Glossy, soft, flexible surface with good water resistance.
- Food contact and children contact recognized by FDA, REACH, ROHS, etc.
- Withstand high temperatures in a short time.
- Raw materials are available from nature, safe, low cost, and easy to use for the production of the plastic industry.

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