Composite materials with a polymer matrix, due to the large variety of properties, are increasingly used in the recent years and they may replace many other classic materials. Polyethylene is very often used as a polymer matrix due to its relatively low cost and good properties. Modification of polyethylene properties is accomplished by the addition of metallic oxide or metal nanoparticles to obtain the composite material of the desired properties. Modification of properties varies and it depends on the type of metal oxide, particle size, particle surface, particle size distribution and mass fraction of the used filler particles. Needed sophisticated applications of individual composite materials require improvement of many properties like mechanical, electrical, catalytic, optical, antibacterial, UV blocking, thermal etc. Composite materials of polyethylene and metal oxide are most often used as packaging materials with specific antibacterial activity, UV protection and impermeability to oxygen and moisture. Such packaging materials are used for packaging of the products that are sensitive to external influences (food and medicaments). Some of PE/metal oxide composites are very efficient catalysts due to the catalytic action of metal oxides and are most commonly used for the purification of waste water. Beside mentioned applications there are also significant applications of PE/metal oxide composites as electrical insulators, materials resistant to mechanical wear and radioactive radiation protection materials. This paper presents a review of the properties and the application of polyethylene metal oxide composites. The results of the polyethylene and metal oxide composite tests prove that composite materials demonstrate better properties for specific applications than pure polyethylene.