What are plastics in a few short words?

Plastic is produced from bio-resources or made from synthetic feedstock. Bio plastics are made from renewable products like carbohydrates, starch, vegetable fats and oils, and other biological substances. Synthetic plastics are made from crude oil, natural gas, or coal. Although there is a growing interest in bio-based plastics, synthetic plastics made from crude oil, natural gas, or coal still comprise more than 99% of all plastics produced each year.

The plastics sector is not simple nor is it homogeneous. There are many types of plastics with each having slightly different characteristics of melting point, boiling point, flexibility, strength, porosity, and ability to retain dyes. The unique characteristic of each plastic type requires them to be processed separately. There are numerous chemical characteristics of plastics, but they are generally placed into one of seven classes including:

Type 1: PET – Polyethylene Terephthalate
Type 2: HDPE – High-Density Polyethylene
Type 3: PVC – Polyvinyl Chloride
Type 4: LDPE – Low-Density Polyethylene
Type 5: PP – Polypropylene
Type 6: PS – Polystyrene
Type 7: All others

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