Net is bought on weight and price, and both can be met with recycled feedstock. The reason to specify virgin HDPE instead is consistency: a recycled melt gives a net whose tension varies slightly from roll to roll, and the variation only shows up at the one place it cannot be tolerated, which is the edge of the bale. A net that runs slightly light will not hold the shoulder of the bale, and the shoulder is where rain gets in. Virgin polymer also takes the UV stabiliser and the cold weather more predictably, which on a bale stored outdoors through a winter is the difference between a net that stays intact and one that cracks at the fold.
Two rolls of net can be the same width, the same length and the same gram weight, and still behave differently in the field. The difference is usually in the polymer rather than the construction, and it is invisible until the bale has been sitting in the rain for a month.
The net is made from 100 per cent new HDPE rather than a recycled melt. The reason that matters is not a claim about being better for the environment, it is consistency. Recycled feedstock varies slightly from batch to batch, and a net that comes out of it varies in tension along with it. The variation is small enough to pass a visual check and large enough to matter at the shoulder of the bale, which is where the net has to hold against the curve. Virgin polymer also accepts the UV stabiliser more evenly and behaves more predictably in cold weather, which decides whether a net stays intact through a winter or cracks at the fold line.
The net is used on hay, straw and silage bales, and the same roll covers all three where the width is matched to the machine. It is worth noting the other requirement on the list, which is that the net comes off easily when the bale is opened: a net that holds too well is as much of a problem on a feeding day as one that lets go too early, so the specification is balancing the two rather than maximising either. More on how netting fits into a bale handling setup is covered under bale net wrap, alongside the shade net and planting bag ranges that go to the same farms.
| Material | 100% new HDPE (virgin), warp knitted |
| Net weight | 8.33 g/m2 or 10 g/m2 |
| Net width | 1 m, 1.22 m, 1.23 m, 1.62 m, 1.7 m, or to your requirement |
| Roll length | 2000 m, 2134 m, 2500 m, 3000 m, or to your requirement |
| Tension | 35 to 43 N at 8.33 g, 43 to 55 N at 10 g |
| Colour | White |
| Packing | Rolls on cardboard tubes, 16 or 12 rolls per pallet |
| MOQ | 2 tons |
The tension figure is where the polymer choice becomes measurable. At 8.33 gsm the net takes 35 to 43 N before it gives, and at 10 gsm it takes 43 to 55 N. Those numbers are what hold the net against the shoulder of the bale, which is the part of the curve where the material is under the most load and the part that decides whether rain runs off or soaks in. A buyer specifying for outdoor storage in a wet climate should be looking at the 10 gsm end; one specifying for bales that are wrapped in film immediately can use the lighter net and take the saving. The net is supplied as a warp knitted mesh, so it holds shape rather than stretching diagonally under load.
Widths run from 1 m to 1.7 m and roll lengths from 2000 m to 3000 m, with the narrower Japanese sizes and the 3600 m European rolls made to order. Rolls are packed on cardboard tubes, 16 or 12 to a pallet, and a 20 ft container takes around 190 to 210 rolls against 490 to 510 in a 40 ft high cube; capacity is 400 tons a month and delivery is about 15 days from deposit. Tell us the baler, the width, the crop and the storage conditions, and we will confirm the weight and the roll length. Buyers tracking what is going into hay, straw and silage operations can follow trade coverage such as HortiDaily and FreshPlaza for what growers are installing.
Why specify virgin HDPE rather than recycled?
Consistency of tension, which is what holds the net against the shoulder of the bale, and more even take-up of the UV stabiliser. Tell us the storage conditions and we will advise on the weight.
Will the net come off easily when the bale is opened?
The specification balances holding the bale with releasing cleanly at feeding time, because a net that holds too well is its own problem. Tell us how the bales are opened.
Which weight should I order?
The 10 gsm net takes 43 to 55 N and suits bales stored outdoors in a wet climate; the 8.33 gsm at 35 to 43 N suits bales going straight into film. Tell us how the bales are stored.
Tell us the baler, the width, the crop and the storage conditions, and we will confirm the specification, the sample and the packing that suit your order.
Mark Wu, Co-founder & Technical Director, Sichuan Zhifang Net Industry. 15 years manufacturing agricultural nettings for growers in 32 countries.
