Abstract: In this paper we investigated the differences of physical properties between the virgin and recycled polyethylene raw material specially used for pipe, and the effect of recycled PE on the properties of pipes was also studied. The results indicated that melt flow index, ash content, oxidation induction time and metal element content could be considered as effective indicators for identifying the virgin/recycled PE materials for pipes. Moreover, a mixing experiment was performed to prepare the compounds with different contents of typical recycled PE materials. The mechanical properties, antioxidant performance, metal contents and rheological behaviors of the compounds were evaluated intensively. The investigation showed that the presence of recycled PE material in the pipes or raw materials could be effectively distinguished by detecting the content of iron and calcium. The research results obtained from this work can be used for the revision of the standard specification for polyolefin plastic pipeline and will also make a contribution to the development of plastic pipeline industry.