Ordinary superglue, epoxy or solvent cement on their own — they will hold briefly and let go Sanding and hoping: more surface area does not fix a surface the adhesive cannot wet Trusting a primed bond in peel, or on anything holding pressure or hot liquid

Which glue works on polypropylene and polyethylene?

Ordinary adhesives cannot wet these plastics at all. Use a polyolefin primer with cyanoacrylate, an MMA structural adhesive, or weld the plastic.

This is a wetting problem, not a strength problem. An adhesive can only bond to a surface whose surface energy is higher than the adhesive's own surface tension, by a margin of roughly 10 mN/m. Polypropylene sits around 29-31 mN/m and polyethylene around 31 mN/m, while cyanoacrylate is in the mid-30s and epoxies higher still — so the glue beads up and sits on the surface instead of spreading into it, and peels off as a skin. PTFE at about 18 mN/m is worse again, which is exactly why it is used for non-stick pans. Both plastics are also semicrystalline and chemically inert, so no solvent softens them and solvent welding is off the table too. Every working method therefore does one of two things: change the surface chemistry so it can be wetted, or stop using adhesive and melt the plastic instead.

The options, ranked

Ranked best-first for the stated job. The third column is why the others exist.
Option	Good at	Bad at
Polyolefin primer plus cyanoacrylate	The cheapest thing that actually works: the primer oxidises the surface so the superglue can wet it, and bond strength rises many times over.	Primer has a short open time and a shelf life, the bond is still brittle, and it will not fill gaps.
MMA structural adhesive for low surface energy plastics	Purpose-made for polyolefins, tough and gap-filling, and the answer where the joint has to carry real load.	Cartridge product, strong smell, short working time, and priced for trade rather than a broken bin lid.
Plastic welding with matching rod	Genuinely structural, because the repair becomes the same material as the part. The standard fix for bumpers and tanks.	Requires a hot air welder, a matching rod and practice, and heat distorts thin parts.
Flame or plasma surface treatment	Industrially standard: a quick oxidising flame pass raises the surface energy enough for conventional adhesives to wet it.	Effect decays within hours to days, the margin between treating and melting is small, and it is awkward to do evenly by hand.
Mechanical fixing	A rivet, a bolt and a backing washer, or a heat-staked post will outlast any adhesive on these materials.	Needs access to both sides and leaves a hole, which is a problem in anything holding liquid.

Technique that changes the outcome

Confirm the material: recycling code 5 is PP, 2 and 4 are HDPE and LDPE, and both float in water
Abrade with 80-120 grit to give mechanical key as well as surface area
Degrease with isopropanol — release agents from moulding are often still on the part
Apply polyolefin primer thinly, let it flash off for the time on the bottle, then bond within its stated window
If flame treating, one quick pass with the tip of a blue flame, never dwelling: the surface should not gloss over
Test on an offcut before trusting the repair

What goes wrong

Ordinary superglue, epoxy or solvent cement on their own — they will hold briefly and let go
Sanding and hoping: more surface area does not fix a surface the adhesive cannot wet
Trusting a primed bond in peel, or on anything holding pressure or hot liquid

Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.

Other glue and adhesive questions

For	Use
Plastic	It depends entirely on which plastic — identify it first, because solvent cement is unbeatable on some and useless on others.
Wood	PVA wood glue for anything indoors; a water-resistant grade (Type I / D4) or polyurethane for anything that gets wet.
Metal	Two-part epoxy for anything structural, cyanoacrylate for small dry parts, and MMA where the surface cannot be properly prepared.
Ceramic and pottery	Two-part epoxy for anything that will be handled or loaded, cyanoacrylate for a clean break on a display piece — and neither is dishwasher-proof.
Shoes	A flexible shoe repair adhesive — polyurethane or a neoprene contact cement — never superglue, which cracks within a day of walking.
Fabric	A washable fabric adhesive or a fusible bonding web — and never superglue, which reacts with cotton violently enough to burn.
Glass	UV-cure glass adhesive for an invisible joint, clear epoxy where it must hold load, and neutral-cure silicone where it must stay flexible or wet.
PVC pipe	PVC solvent cement with its matching primer — and PVC, CPVC and ABS cements are not interchangeable.
Tiles	A cement-based thin-set in almost every case; ready-mixed tub adhesive only on small dry walls, never on floors or in showers.
Phone screens	A pre-cut adhesive gasket, or a flexible B-7000-type adhesive around the frame — superglue destroys screens and is the classic mistake.
Rubber	Contact cement for large flexible areas and rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate for small ones — but silicone and EPDM need a primer or they will not bond at all.
Outdoor and waterproof joints	Polyurethane or epoxy for rigid joints, MS polymer where the joint has to move — and check the water-resistance class rather than the word "waterproof".
Acrylic (Perspex, Plexiglas)	A solvent cement run into the joint by capillary action — not a tube adhesive, which will always look like a repair.
Concrete	Epoxy or a construction adhesive for bonding to it, and a chemical anchor resin — not glue — for anything that carries load.
Leather	Contact cement for a permanent flexible bond, or a leather-craft PVA to hold pieces while you stitch them.
Silicone	Effectively only more silicone, and even that needs a primer — and any silicone residue left on a surface stops everything else sticking too.
Paper	A glue stick or PVA for everyday work; wheat starch paste or methylcellulose for anything you want to survive — and never tape.
Foam	A foam-safe water-based adhesive or low-temperature hot melt — solvent adhesives dissolve polystyrene on contact.
Polycarbonate	A urethane or silicone adhesive is safest; solvent cements work but polycarbonate is unusually prone to stress cracking days later.

Common questions

Which glue works on polypropylene and polyethylene?: Ordinary adhesives cannot wet these plastics at all. Use a polyolefin primer with cyanoacrylate, an MMA structural adhesive, or weld the plastic.
What should I avoid?: Ordinary superglue, epoxy or solvent cement on their own — they will hold briefly and let go Sanding and hoping: more surface area does not fix a surface the adhesive cannot wet Trusting a primed bond in peel, or on anything holding pressure or hot liquid

Which glue works on plastic? It depends entirely on which plastic — identify it first, because solvent cement is unbeatable on some and useless on others.
Which glue works on wood? PVA wood glue for anything indoors; a water-resistant grade (Type I / D4) or polyurethane for anything that gets wet.
Which glue works on metal? Two-part epoxy for anything structural, cyanoacrylate for small dry parts, and MMA where the surface cannot be properly prepared.
Which glue works on ceramic? Two-part epoxy for anything that will be handled or loaded, cyanoacrylate for a clean break on a display piece — and neither is dishwasher-proof.
Which glue works on shoes? A flexible shoe repair adhesive — polyurethane or a neoprene contact cement — never superglue, which cracks within a day of walking.
Which glue works on fabric? A washable fabric adhesive or a fusible bonding web — and never superglue, which reacts with cotton violently enough to burn.
Which glue works on glass? UV-cure glass adhesive for an invisible joint, clear epoxy where it must hold load, and neutral-cure silicone where it must stay flexible or wet.
Which glue works on PVC pipe? PVC solvent cement with its matching primer — and PVC, CPVC and ABS cements are not interchangeable.
Which adhesive should I use for tiles? A cement-based thin-set in almost every case; ready-mixed tub adhesive only on small dry walls, never on floors or in showers.
Which glue works on a phone screen? A pre-cut adhesive gasket, or a flexible B-7000-type adhesive around the frame — superglue destroys screens and is the classic mistake.

Sources

Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked