WASTE PLASTICS RECYCLING A GOOD PRACTICES GUIDE

BY AND FOR LOCAL & REGIONAL AUTHORITIES

CHAPTER 3
Plastics & waste plastics
Definition
The worldwide production of plastics has grown from virtually zero to almost 100 million tonnes pa
(Mtpa) in the last half century. The term plastics describes a vast range of materials and compounds.
There are about 50 different families and hundreds of varieties. Most plastics are made from simple
hydrocarbon molecules (monomers) derived from oil or gas. These undergo polymerisation to form
more complex polymers from which products are manufactured (figure 4). Additives are used to give
the plastic specific properties.

Figure 4 :
The Manufacture,
use, reuse and recycling
of plastics17

Types of plastics
There are two main types of plastics: thermoplastics and thermosets.
Thermoplastics soften when heated and harden on cooling. More than 80 per cent of plastics are
thermoplastics, examples of which include:
high density polyethylene (HDPE)

used for bottles for detergents, food products,

pipes and toys.

low density polyethylene (LDPE)

for products such as cling-film, bin liners and

flexible containers.

17- United Nations Environmental Programme - Technical guidelines for the identification and environmentally sound management of plastics
waste and for their disposal (2002)

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WASTE PLASTICS RECYCLING A GOOD PRACTICES GUIDE

BY AND FOR LOCAL & REGIONAL AUTHORITIES

polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

used in bottles, carpets and food packaging.

polypropylene (PP)

used in yoghurt and margarine pots, auto

motive parts, fibres, milk crates.

polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

is made from oil and salt and is used for window

frames, flooring, pipes, wallpaper, bottles,
medical products.

Thermosets are hardened by a curing process and cannot be re-melted or re-moulded. Examples of
thermosets (which comprise 20 per cent of all plastics), include:
polyurethane (PU)

epoxy

phenolic

used in coatings, finishes, mattresses and

vehicle seating.
adhesives, boats, sporting equipment, electrical
and automotive components.
used in ovens, toasters, automotive parts and
circuit boards.

Annex 2 gives more detailed information on polymer types and describes18 the major thermoplastics
with their identification numbering, most common applications, and some recyclate applications.

Characteristics and Identification

The physical and chemical characteristics of individual polymers are very different and influence
end-use applications. PET has good gas barrier characteristics and therefore is suitable for packaging
carbonated drinks. HDPE is not, but it is resistant to impact, electricity and chemicals. PP can be
hot-filled, but it also has good tensile strength and can be extruded to produce fibres and filaments,
while PVC has good insulating properties.
There is no legislation governing the marking of plastics. The European Commission prepared a
voluntary identification system - (97/129/EC) - for packaging, which established that:
the numbering and abbreviations on which the identification system is based, indicating the
nature of the packaging material(s) used
The use of this system is voluntary for plastics. Numbering and abbreviations are as follows:

Table 5: EC voluntary scheme for plastics identification

Material

Abbreviations

Numbering

Polyethylene Terephthalate

PET

High density polyethylene

HDPE

Polyvinyl chloride

PVC

Low density polyethylene

LDPE

Polypropylene

PP

Polystyrene

PS

Unallocated

719

Others

18- Based on: http://www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.au/aboutus/infosheet_plastic.asp and An analysis of plasticsconsumption and recovery in Western
Europe 2000 APME Spring 2002 (Available on www.apme.org)

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