Plastic Glossary
Additives:
A diverse group of specialty chemicals incorporated into plastic
formulations before or during processing, or to the surfaces of
finished products after processing. Their primary purpose is to
modify the behavior of plastics during processing or to impart
useful properties to fabricated plastic articles. (Modern
Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Advanced Recycling Technologies (ART):
Processes that yield a variety of versatile and marketable
end-products that are the building blocks from which new plastics
and a variety of other products can be manufactured. This is
achieved by converting or recycling plastics back into the raw
materials from which they were made. ART includes such processes
as methanolysis, glycolysis, hydrolysis, and thermal
depolymerization. These technologies augment existing mechanical
systems as part of an integrated approach to plastics recycling
designed to increase the volume of post-consumer plastic plastics
diverted from the waste stream and expand the variety of plastics
that are recycled into new and useful products. (The Evolution of
Plastics Recycling Technology, APC, 1994).
The American Plastics Council (APC):
A national organization whose mission is to actively
demonstrate that plastics are a preferred material and a
responsible choice in a more environmentally conscious world.
Ammonolysis:
A complete depolymerization process that breaks nylon into
its building blocks or monomers that can then be repolymerized to
make nylon in any form and for any market. (Modern Plastics
Encyclopedia 1995).
Automatic Plastics Sorting:
The separation of mixed plastics by resin type and/or color
via a mechanical system. A system detects the plastic type (or
types) to be segregated and removes those materials from the
stream. Common systems utilize conveyors, resin/color detectors,
computer analysis and tracking and air jet ejectors. For plastic
packaging, the separation may be on a macro (whole container) or
micro (chopped/ground particles) basis. ("Automatic Sorting for
Mixed Plastics," Peter Dinger, BioCycle, March 1992; "Automatic
Microsorting for Mixed Plastics," Peter Dinger, BioCycle, April
1992)
Bale:
The end product of a compaction process that is used to decrease
the volume that material occupies by increasing the density and
weight. Bales are typically 3' x 4' x 5' and must be bound with
plastic stripping or wire to keep from falling apart. (Waste
Reduction Strategies for Rural Communities, prepared by the MaCC
Group, with support from Tennessee Valley Authority, March 1994).
Bisphenol-A (4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol):
An intermediate used in the production of
epoxy, polycarbonate and phenolic resins. The name was coined
after the condensation reaction by which it may be formed--two (bis)
molecules of phenol with one of acetone (A). (Whittington's
Dictionary of Plastics, published by Technomic Publishing).
Blow Molding:
A widely used process for the production of hollow thermoplastic
shapes. The process is divided into two general categories:
extrusion blow molding and injection blow molding. These
processes are typically used to manufacture plastic bottles and
containers. (Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995)
Extrusion Blow Molding: A parison or tube of plastic material is
dropped or lowered from an extruder. Mold halves close around the
parison, which is then expanded against the cavity wall by the
injection of air. (Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995)
Injection Blow Molding: A two-stage process where plastic is
first injection molded into a preform. The preform is then
transferred to a blow mold where it is expanded. (Modern Plastics
Encyclopedia 1995).
British Thermal Unit (Btu):
The quantity of heat required to increase the temperature of one
pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. (The Recycler's Lexicon: A
Glossary of Contemporary Terms and Acronyms, Resource Recycling
Inc., 1995).
Buy-Back Recycling Centers:
A commercially located, staffed recycling facility that
purchases small amounts of post-consumer plastic secondary
materials from the public. Buy-back centers typically purchase
aluminum cans and may also handle glass containers and newspaper.
Typically, little processing of materials occurs at buy-back
centers. (The Recycler's Lexicon: A Glossary of Contemporary
Terms and Acronyms, Resource Recycling Inc., 1995).
Co-Collection:
The act of picking up post-consumer plastic (or secondary)
materials or compostable materials simultaneously with garbage.
(The Recycler's Lexicon: A Glossary of Contemporary Terms and
Acronyms, Resource Recycling Inc., 1995).
Co-Combustion:
The simultaneous combustion of two or more fuel types to
provide useful energy. Generally, a primary fuel is combusted
with one or more supplemental fuels. Examples would include the
co-combustion of wood with coal, or processed combustible
materials derived from residential, commercial and industrial
sources, which could include plastics-enhanced pelletized fuel
products, with coal as the primary fuel in industrial or utility
boilers. (Kenneth Smith, Vice President, wTe Corporation,
Bedford, Mass., 1996).
Coextrusion:
Involves a process where parts are blow-molded
with walls containing two or more layers of different material.
Coextrusion offers wide latitude for material selection and also
allows the use of recycled materials. A material with good
barrier properties, for example, can be used for the inside and
outside surfaces of a blow molded bottle, while recycled material
can be used for the internal layer. (Modern Plastics Encyclopedia
1995).
Cogeneration:
The simultaneous production of power and another form of
useful thermal energy from a single fuel-consuming process. The
most common cogeneration systems being constructed today utilize
combustion or co-combustion processes to produce electricity via
a turbine as the principal product and steam and/or hot water as
by-products. The electricity generally is sold to a utility or
used for adjacent industrial processes and the steam and hot
water generally are exported to adjacent companies for industrial
process uses and for space heating. When combusting fuels in
typical boilers, cogeneration is significantly more energy
efficient than the generation of electricity alone. Approximately
75 percent of the energy value in the fuel can be extracted in a
cogeneration facility compared to approximately 35 percent when
electricity is produced solely. (Singer, Joseph G., "Combustion
Fossil Power," Fourth Edition, Combustion Engineering, Inc.,
Windsor, Conn., 1991; Lund, Herbert F., "The McGraw-Hill
Recycling Handbook," McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, 1993).
Combustion:
A chemical process in which oxygen rapidly combines with the
fuel and converts the fuel into gases, primarily water (H20) and
carbon dioxide (C02), and residues. The combustion process
produces significant thermal energy (heat) and light, and
generally is self sustaining-that is no external source of heat
is required to maintain combustion of fuel. In modern,
state-of-the-art waste-to-energy facilities, and in other modern
energy production facilities, the combustion process is carefully
controlled to extract maximum energy value from the fuel source
and to reduce the generation of potentially harmful substances
significantly well below stringent regulatory levels. Industrial
and post-consumer plastic plastics that cannot be economically
recycled are excellent fuel sources that combust very well in
such facilities. The energy value of these plastics is comparable
to oil and can be more than 50 percent greater than coal. (Tchobanoglous,
George, Hilary Theisen and Rolf Eliassen, "Solid Wastes,
Engineering Principles and Management Issues," McGraw-Hill, Inc.,
New York, 1977; Lund, Herbert F., "The McGraw-Hill Recycling
Handbook," McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, 1993).
Compatibilizers:
Additives that enable two or more materials to exist in close
and permanent association indefinitely. They may be used to blend
virgin and post-consumer plastic resins or different types of
resins to maintain the quality of the products. (Dr. Ronald
Liesemer, Vice President of Technology, APC, Washington, D.C.,
1996).
Compounding:
The incorporation of additional ingredients needed for
processing in order to have optimal properties. These ingredients
may include Additives to improve a polymer's physical properties,
stability or processability. Compounding is usually required for
recycled materials for the following reasons:
Recycled materials are typically ground from parts that produce
flakes. The compounding (palletizing) process turns them into
pellets that can be more easily handled by traditional plastics
processing equipment.
It allows Additives to be compounded into the recycled material
to meet target application requirements.
It allows virgin materials to be mixed with recycled materials to
meet material specifications for performance and recycled
material content targets.
It provides a very important homogenization step. Recycled
materials are usually a mix of many different grades of the same
basic material. Even though the materials might be from the same
family, differences in molecular weight, copolymer ratios, etc.
can lead to a mixed material having poor homogeneity. The
intensive physical mixing in a molten polymer that is achieved
during extrusion can homogenize different grades of materials and
even some types and amounts of foreign material that might not
have been removed during the recycling process. (Adapted from
Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Cradle-To-Grave Analysis:
A methodology that quantifies energy consumption and
environmental emissions at each stage of a product's life cycle,
beginning at the point of raw material extraction and proceeding
through processing, manufacturing, consumer use, and final
recycling, reuse or disposal. (Resource and Environmental Profile
Analysis of High Density Polyethylene and Bleached Paperboard
Gable Milk Containers, Franklin Associates, Ltd., February 1991)
Curbside Collection:
A collection process where consumers place designated
recyclables at the roadside or curb, usually in a special
container or bag, for collection separate from non-recyclable
material such as garbage. (The Blueprint for Plastics Recycling,
The Council for Solid Waste Solutions, 1991).
Densification:
A process that lowers the volume-to-weight ratio in order to
reduce shipping costs. Baling is the most common form of
densification, although some handlers of post-consumer plastic
plastics granulate or grind collected material. (The Blueprint
for Plastics Recycling, The Council for Solid Waste Solutions,
1991).
Design for Recycling:
This concept aims to encourage pre-production planning for
safe and efficient recycling by the elimination, to the extent
possible, of hazardous and non-recyclable materials from the
production process. (Design For Recycling: The Scrap Recycling
Industry's Perspective, Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries,
Inc. (ISRI), 1991).
Dioxin:
Dioxin is a naturally occurring compound and a by-product of
environmental events such as volcanoes and forest fires. man-made
processes such as manufacturing, paper and pulp bleaching, and
exhaust emissions also yield dioxin. To find out more, go to the
Chlorine Chemistry Council.
Discards:
The components of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) remaining after
recovery for recycling and composting. These discards are
presumably combusted or disposed of in landfills, although some
MSW is littered, stored, disposed of on site or burned on site,
particularly in rural areas. (Characterization of Municipal Solid
Waste in the United States: 1995 Update, prepared for U.S. EPA
Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste Division Office of Solid
Waste, March 1996).
Drop-Off Center:
A centrally located depot to which consumers bring
recyclables that does not provide payment for delivered
materials. (The Blueprint for Plastics Recycling, The Council for
Solid Waste Solutions, 1991).
Durable Goods:
Consumer products with a useful life of three
years or more that include major appliances, furniture, tires,
lead-acid automotive batteries, consumer electronics, automobiles
and other items. (Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in
the United States: 1995 Update, prepared for U.S. EPA Municipal
and Industrial Solid Waste Division Office of Solid Waste, March
1996).
End Market:
Any product that utilizes post-consumer plastic plastic in
its manufacture. (Adapted from Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995)
End Product:
A fabricated value-added item that does not include Bales,
flake or pellets. (1995 post-consumer plastic Plastics
Recycling/Recovery Rate Survey, Glossary of Terms, R.W. Beck &
Associates).
Endocrine:
For more information on the theory of endocrine disruption go
to the Canadian Chemical Producers Association, the Chemical
Manufacturers Association, the Chlorine Chemistry Council or the
Bisphenol-A Web Site sponsored by the Global Bisphenol-A Industry
Group of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. and the
European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC).
Energy Recovery:
The process of recovering the thermal energy produced when
fuels are converted to gases and residues through the combustion
process. The thermal energy generally is recovered through the
use of heat exchangers that extract the energy from the hot
combustion gases. Heat exchangers can be air to air units similar
to those used in residential or commercial hot air heating
systems or air to water/steam units (boilers) that can be
designed to generate either hot water or steam, similar to
residential and commercial hot water and steam generation heating
systems. Large electric power production facilities, including
modern waste-to-energy plants, that supply needed power to our
homes, hospitals and factories, maximize thermal energy recovery
efficiency through the utilization of high temperature, high
pressure steam generating boilers that recover both the radiant
energy from the combustion process inside the furnace as well as
the energy in the hot combustion gases. The high heating value of
plastics makes them a valuable source of energy that can be
readily recovered in modern waste-to-energy plants. (Tchobanoglous,
George, Hilary Theisen and Rolf Eliassen, "Solid Wastes,
Engineering Principles and Management Issues," McGraw-Hill, Inc.,
New York, 1977; Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc., "Small-Scale
Municipal Solid Waste Energy Recovery Systems," Van Nostrand
Reinhold Company, New York, 1986).
Environmental Marketing Guidelines:
U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Guides for the Use of
Environmental Marketing Claims, issued in July, 1992, are
voluntary guidelines for product manufacturers using
environmental advertising and marketing. They are intended to
help prevent misleading environmental marketing claims.
(Environmental Packaging; U.S. Guide to Green Labeling, Packaging
and Recycling. Thompson Publishing Group, October 1995).
Extrusion:
One of the most common plastics processing techniques
covering a vast range of applications in which resins are melted,
heated and pumped for processing. Extrusion machines accomplish
these tasks by means of one or more internal screws. In
extrusion, the material to be processed is sheared between the
root of the screw and the wall of the barrel that surround it.
This process produces frictional energy that heats and melts the
substance as it is conveyed down the barrel. Melted extrudate
from the machine is further processed after the extrusion phase,
which typically produces pellets, sheet, cast film, blown film,
fibers, coatings, pipes, profiles or molded parts. (Modern
Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Feedstock Recycling:
A group of recycling technologies employing various processes
that convert mixtures of plastics into petroleum feedstocks or
raw materials that can be used in refineries and petrochemical
facilities for making new products. These technologies augment
existing mechanical systems as part of an integrated approach to
plastics recycling designed to increase the volume of
post-consumer plastic plastics diverted from the waste stream and
expand the variety of plastics that are recycled into new and
useful products. (The Evolution of Plastics Recycling Technology,
APC, 1994).
Generation:
A figure that refers to the amount (weight, volume or
percentage of the overall waste stream) of materials and products
as they enter the waste stream and before materials recovery,
composting or combustion takes place. (Characterization of
Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1995 Update, prepared
for U.S. EPA Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste Division Office
of Solid Waste, March 1996).
Glycolysis:
A process that stops short of complete depolymerization, but
breaks long polymer chains into short-chain oligomers that are
repolymerized into virgin polymer. (Modern Plastics Encyclopedia
1995).
Granulating:
A size-reduction process used for production scrap,
post-consumer plastic packaging, industrial parts, or other
materials that must be downsized for further processing.
Granulators consist of a feed hopper, cutting chamber,
classifying screen, and rotating knives that work in concert with
stationary-bed knives to reduce the plastic scrap until it is
small enough to pass through the classifying screen. The
resulting particles, called regrind, can vary in size from 3 mm
to 20 mm. (Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Green Dot:
Germany's Packaging Ordinance of June 12, 1991, designed to
eliminate any packaging that cannot be reused, recycled or
incinerated for energy recovery. Its aim is to keep packaging
separate from the municipal waste stream by forcing retailers and
distributors to take back used packaging materials and reuse,
recycle or dispose of it. A private company established by
industry to fulfill obligations under the Ordinance, Duales
System Deutshland (DSD), guarantees that the packaging of
participating members will be collected for reuse or recycling.
In return, the products of DSD members can bear the "green dot."
(Environmental Packaging; U.S. Guide to Green Labeling, Packaging
and Recycling. Thompson Publishing Group, October 1995).e
intensive physical mixing in a molten polymer that is achieved
during extrusion can homogenize different grades of materials and
even some types and amounts of foreign material that might not
have been removed during the recycling process. (Adapted from
Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Handler:
An organization that prepares recyclable plastics by sorting,
densifying and/or storing the material until a sufficient
quantity is on hand. When the handler completes processing, the
material is not ready to be manufactured into a new product, but
it has been made more valuable. (Waste Reduction Strategies for
Rural Communities, prepared by the MaCC Group, with support from
Tennessee Valley Authority, March 1994).
Hauler:
A company that transports post-consumer plastic and other
materials to a handler or other processor. (Stretch Wrap
Recycling: A How-To Guide, APC, 1994).
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE):
HDPE refers to a plastic used to make bottles for milk, juice,
water and laundry products. Unpigmented HDPE bottles are
translucent and have good barrier properties and stiffness. They
are well suited to packaging products with short shelf lives such
as milk. Pigmented HDPE bottles generally have better stress
crack and chemical resistance than bottles made with unpigmented
HDPE. These properties are needed for packaging such items as
household chemicals and detergents, which have a longer shelf
life. Injection-molded HDPE is resistant to warpage and
distortion. It is used for products such as margarine tubs and
yogurt containers. (Plastic Packaging Opportunities and
Challenges, APC, February 1992)
Industrial Scrap:
Any plastic resin or products, such as factory regrind and plant
scrap, recycled outside of the primary manufacturing facility.
Also referred to as post-industrial or pre-consumer plastics.
(1995 post-consumer plastic Plastics Recycling/Recovery Rate
Survey, Glossary of Terms, R.W. Beck & Associates).
Injection Molding:
A process that involves transmitting melted resin into a mold's
cavity; the molten resin then cools and solidifies, and the
finished piece is ejected from the mold. (Modern Plastics
Encyclopedia 1995).
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA):
An objective process to evaluate the environmental burdens
associated with a product, process or activity by identifying and
quantifying energy and materials used and wastes released to the
environment, to assess the impact of those energy and materials
uses and releases on the environment, and to evaluate and
implement opportunities to affect environmental improvements. The
assessment includes the entire life cycle of the product, process
or activity, encompassing extraction and processing of raw
materials, manufacturing, transportation and distribution,
use/reuse/maintenance, recycling and final disposal. (A Technical
Framework for Life-Cycle Assessment, Society of Environmental
Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), January 1991).
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI):
An objective, data-based process of quantifying energy and
raw material requirements, air emissions, waterborne effluents,
solid waste, and other environmental releases incurred throughout
the life cycle of a product, process or activity. (A Technical
Framework for Life-Cycle Assessment, Society of Environmental
Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), January 1991).
Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE):
A plastic that is used predominantly in film applications due to
its toughness, flexibility and relative transparency. LLDPE is
the preferred resin for injection molding because of its superior
toughness and is used in items such as grocery bags, garbage bags
and landfill liners. (Adapted from Modern Plastics Encyclopedia
1995; Plastic Packaging Opportunities and Challenges, APC,
February 1992).
Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE):
A plastic used predominantly in film applications due to its
toughness, flexibility and relative transparency. LDPE has a low
melting point, making it popular for use in applications where
heat sealing is necessary. Typically, LDPE is used to manufacture
flexible films such as those used for plastic retail bags and
garment dry cleaning and grocery bags. LDPE is also used to
manufacture some flexible lids and bottles, and it is widely used
in wire and cable applications for its stable electrical
properties and processing characteristics. (Adapted from Modern
Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Methanolysis:
An advanced recycling process where methanol is introduced to
PET or other polyester-based material in a chemical processing
plant. The polyester is broken down into its basic molecules,
including dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol. These
precursors are then re-polymerized into purified raw resin.
(Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Materials Recovery Facility (MRF):
A facility that receives materials in a form unacceptable by
the marketplace. The MRF separates, removes contamination, sorts,
densifies, and stores recyclable material types. Each material is
prepared to meet the requirements of a specific market. MRFs are
generally considered handlers. (Waste Reduction Strategies for
Rural Communities, prepared by the MaCC Group, with support from
Tennessee Valley Authority, March 1994).
Monomer:
A relatively simple compound that can react to form a polymer
(i.e., polymerize). (Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society
of the Plastics Industry, Inc., edited by Michael L. Berins).
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW):
A phrase for garbage generated from residential, commercial,
institutional and industrial sources that falls into six basic
categories-durable goods, non-durable goods, containers and
packaging, food wastes, yard trimmings and miscellaneous organic
and inorganic wastes. Wastes from these categories include
appliances, newspapers, clothing, food scraps, boxes, disposable
tableware, office and classroom paper, wood pallets and cafeteria
wastes. (Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United
States: 1994 Update, prepared for U.S. EPA Municipal and
Industrial Solid Waste Division Office of Solid Waste, November
1994).
Non-Durable Goods:
Consumer goods with a useful life of less than three years that
include newspapers, paper towels, plastic cups and plates,
disposable diapers, clothing, footwear and other items.
(Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States:
1994 Update, prepared for U.S. EPA Municipal and Industrial Solid
Waste Division Office of Solid Waste, November 1994).
Packaging Efficiency:
A quantification of the efficiency by which competing
packaging materials deliver product to market. It is derived by
comparing the volume of product delivered per pound of packaging.
It is one way to quantify the achievement of source reduction,
i.e., delivering the most product per unit of packaging.
("Factoring the Value of Source Reduction into Packaging
Use/Post-Use Economics," Ronald Perkins, Recycle 93 Sixth Annual
Forum, Davos, Switzerland).
Pelletizing:
A process for producing a uniform particle size of virgin or
recycled plastic resins. Molten polymer from an extruder is
forced through a die to form multiple strands of resin (similar
to the chopping of spaghetti from extruded dough). Traditionally
the strands are pulled by nip rolls through a water bath to cool
and solidify and then into a cutting chamber where they are
chopped into approximately 1/4" lengths. Modern systems
incorporate underwater pelletizers where the strands are cut by a
rotating knife immediately upon exiting the die. This operation
takes place in a closed head as water circulates through to cool
and carry the pellets away. Both methods move the pellets to a
dewatering/drying system prior to final packout. (Modern Plastics
Encyclopedia 1995).
Phthalate Ester (o-phthalic ester):
Any of a large class of plasticizers produced byt he direct
action of alcohols on phthalic anhydride. The phthalates are the
most widely used of all plasticizers and are generally
characterized by moderate cost, good stability, low toxicity and
good all-around properties. (Whittington's Dictionary of
Plastics, published by Technomic Publishing). To find out more go
to the Phthalate Esters Panel's new website or visit the American
Chemistry Council website. A special web site has been
established to adress the facts about phthalates esters in toys.
To find out more, go to http://www.vinyltoys.com/.
Plastic:
(1) One of many high-polymeric substances, including both
natural and synthetic products, but excluding the rubbers. At
some stage in its manufacture, every plastic is capable of
flowing, under heat and pressure if necessary, into the desired
final shape. (2) Made of plastic; capable of flow under pressure
or tensile stress. (Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society
of the Plastics Industry, Inc., edited by Michael L. Berins,
1991).
Plastic Bottle:
A rigid container that is designed with a neck that is
narrower than the body, normally used to hold liquids and emptied
by pouring. (How To Develop a Viable post-consumer plastic
Handling Business, APC, 1993).
Plastic Film:
A thin flexible sheet that only holds a particular shape when
supported. (How To Develop a Viable post-consumer plastic
Handling Business, APC, 1993).
Plastic Packaging:
When a host of different plastics, such as polyethylene,
polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride,
polyvinylidene dichloride (Saran), nylon, etc., provide
containment, protection, information and utility-of-use
(convenience) for commercial products. (Plastic Packaging
Opportunities and Challenges, APC, 1992).
Plastics Recovery Facility (PRF):
A facility that receives recyclable plastics and then
separates, removes contamination, sorts by resin type and color,
condenses, and stores the segregated plastic types. Sorted
plastic bottles and containers are then Baled and shipped to
recycling markets. (Q & A: Plastics Recovery Facility fact sheet,
The Garten Foundation, 1994).
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE):
PET is clear, tough and has good gas and moisture barrier
properties. Some of this plastic is used in PET soft drink
bottles and other blow molded containers, although sheet
applications are increasing. Cleaned, recycled PET flakes and
pellets are in great demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns
and producing fiberfill and geotextiles. Other applications
include strapping, molding compounds and both food and non-food
containers. (Adapted from Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Polymer:
A high-molecular-weight organic compound, natural or
synthetic, whose structure can be represented by a repeated small
unit, the monomer (e.g., polyethylene, rubber, cellulose).
Synthetic polymers are formed by addition or condensation
polymerization of monomers. If two or more different monomers are
involved, a copolymer is obtained. Some polymers are elastomers,
some plastics. (Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society of
the Plastics Industry, Inc., edited by Michael L. Berins, 1991).
Polypropylene (PP):
Polypropylene has excellent chemical resistance, is strong
and has the lowest density of the plastics used in packaging. It
has a high melting point, making it ideal for hot-fill liquids.
In film form it may or may not be oriented (stretched). PP is
found in everything from flexible and rigid packaging to fibers
and large molded parts for automotive and consumer products.
(Adapted from Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995; Plastic
Packaging Opportunities and Challenges, APC, February 1992).
Polystyrene (PS):
Polystyrene is a very versatile plastic that can be rigid or
foamed. General purpose polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle.
It has a relatively low melting point. Typical applications
include protective packaging, containers, lids, cups, bottles,
trays and tumblers. (Plastic Packaging Opportunities and
Challenges, APC, February 1992).
post-consumer plastic Plastic:
Any plastic that has entered the stream of commerce, served
its intended purpose, and has now been diverted for recycling or
export. This includes residential, commercial and institutional
plastic. This does not include industrial scrap material like
factory regrind and plant scrap used within the primary
manufacturing facility. (post-consumer plastic resin is also
known as PCR). (1995 post-consumer plastic Plastics
Recycling/Recovery Rate Survey, Glossary of Terms, R.W. Beck &
Associates).
Process Engineered Fuels (PEF):
PEF, (some known as pellet fuels), are produced from a
mixture of industrial and/or commercial plastic scrap and other
industrial and/or commercial scrap materials and/or from plastic
and other materials diverted from the waste stream, along with
binding agents and Additives. The proportions of the major
plastic and other components can be varied to yield a pellet fuel
possessing the desired combustion characteristics. PEF is
designed to provide a highly predictable and uniform Btu content,
burn rate and flame temperature, and PEF of a particular
composition will yield ash with known characteristics. (Comments
of the American Plastics Council on Proposed Revisions to Title V
Operating Permit Regulations, submitted to the U.S. EPA, October
30, 1995).
Pyrolysis:
The thermal decomposition of organic material through the
application of heat in the absence of oxygen. (The Recycler's
Lexicon: A Glossary of Contemporary Terms and Acronyms, Resource
Recycling Inc., 1995).
Reclaimer:
An organization that further processes recyclable materials. When
the reclaimer finishes processing, the material is ready to be
remanufactured into a new product. Reclaimers sell post-consumer
plastic pellets or flake to product manufacturers. Some
reclaimers also manufacture end products. (Waste Reduction
Strategies for Rural Communities, prepared by the MaCC Group,
with support from Tennessee Valley Authority, March 1994).
Recovered Material:
Materials and by-products that have been recovered (or
diverted) from solid waste. It does not include those materials
and by-products generated from and commonly reused within an
original manufacturing process (industrial scrap). (Standard
Classification for Recycled post-consumer plastic Polyethylene
Film Sources for Molding and Extrusion Materials, American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), April 1994).
Recovery:
The process of obtaining materials or energy resources from
solid waste. (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40, 245.101).
Recycling:
The series of activities by which discarded materials are
collected, sorted, processed and converted into raw materials and
used in the production of new products.
Recycling Markets:
Individuals or businesses that purchase post-consumer plastic
and/or post-industrial recyclable materials. Markets specify what
kind of recyclables they purchase, what price the material is
worth and in what form the material is needed. Recycling markets
for plastics fall into two broad categories: See Handlers and
Reclaimers. (Waste Reduction Strategies for Rural Communities,
prepared by the MaCC Group, with support from Tennessee Valley
Authority, March 1994).
Redemption Center:
A centrally located depot to which consumers bring
recyclables that provides payment for delivered materials. (The
Blueprint for Plastics Recycling, The Council for Solid Waste
Solutions, 1991).
Resin:
Any of a class of solid or semi-solid organic products of
natural or synthetic origin, generally of high molecular weight
with no definite melting point. Most resins are polymers.
(Plastics Engineering Handbook of The Society of the Plastics
Industry, Inc., edited by Michael L. Berins, 1991).
Resource Conservation:
A wide array of activities that include reducing the energy
consumed and pollution generated during manufacture and over the
useful life of a product; extending the life of material used to
make a product through reuse and recycling; reducing the amount
of material needed to make a product initially; utilizing options
available for recovering value from materials when they are
ultimately discarded, such as energy recovery and fuel pellets.
(American Plastics Council, Washington, DC, 1996).
Responsible Care:
The chemical industry's health, safety and environmental
performance improvement initiative launched in 1988 by the
Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA). Developed to respond to
public concerns about the manufacture and use of chemicals, CMA
members commit to support a continuing effort to improve the
industry's responsible management of chemicals. (1994-95
Responsible Care Progress Report, Chemical Manufacturers
Association).
Rigid Plastic Container:
A formed or molded plastic container that serves as a
package, and maintains its shape when empty and unsupported. (How
To Develop a Viable post-consumer plastic Handling Business, APC,
1993).
The Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc. (SPE):
A technical society for the plastics industry that is a
preferred supplier of engineering, scientific and business
knowledge required by the SPE membership. Its goal is to promote
this knowledge and increase education of plastics and polymers
worldwide. (Leadership 2000: Strategies for the Next Century,
SPE, 1996).
The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI):
A trade organization of more than 2,000 members representing
all segments of the plastics industry in the United States. SPI's
operating units and committees are composed of resin
manufacturers, distributors, machinery manufacturers, plastics
processors, moldmakers and other industry-related groups and
individuals. (SPI Boilerplate, 1996).
Solid Waste:
Garbage, refuse, sludges, and other discarded solid materials
resulting from industrial and commercial operations and from
community activities. It does not include solids or dissolved
material in domestic sewage or other significant pollutants in
water resources, such as silt, dissolved or suspended solids in
industrial wastewater effluents, dissolved materials in
irrigation return flows or other common water pollutants. (Code
of Federal Regulations, Title 40, �240.101).
Source Reduction:
The design, manufacture, use or reuse of materials or products
(including packages) to reduce their amount or toxicity
throughout their useful life and when they are reused, recycled,
landfilled or incinerated. Because it is intended to reduce
pollution and conserve resources, source reduction should not
increase the net amount or toxicity of wastes generated
throughout the life of a product. Source reduction is sometimes
referred to as waste prevention. (National Recycling Coalition:
Definitions Approved by NRC Board of Directors, September 10,
1995).
Source Separation:
The sorting of individual secondary materials at the point of
collection or generation for recycling. Many curbside recycling
programs require the hauler to separate paper, glass, metal cans
and plastic containers into their appropriate bins on the truck
when collected. (The Recycler's Lexicon: A Glossary of
Contemporary Terms and Acronyms, Resource Recycling Inc., 1995).
Stabilizers:
Stabilizers increase both virgin resin's and post-consumer
plastic plastic's strength and resistance to degradation. Heat
stabilizers provide resistance to thermal degradation during
periods of exposure to elevated temperatures. Thermal degradation
is reduced not only during processing but also during the useful
life of the finished products. Light stabilizers are used in a
variety of resins to limit the effects of sunlight or other
sources of ultra violet radiation. Antioxidants can be used as
sacrificial Additives to protect plastics from oxidizing
environments. Stabilizers are important for post-consumer plastic
plastics because reprocessing exposes the material to additional
heat histories through compounding and molding. It is also
important to replenish sacrificial Additives that might have been
expended during the material's previous application and/or during
the added heat histories. (Adapted from Modern Plastics
Encyclopedia 1995).
STYROFOAM:
STYROFOAM is a trademarked name for a specific form of
insulation manufactured by The Dow Chemical Company. "STYROFOAM"
is not
synonymous with "polystyrene."
Sustainable Development:
To meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs. (The World Commission on Environment and Development, Our
Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987).
Thermoforming:
The process of heating a thermoplastic sheet to a working
temperature and then forming it into a finished shape by means of
heat or pressure. (Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Thermoplastic:
(1) Capable of being repeatedly softened by heat and hardened
by cooling. (2) A material that will repeatedly soften when
heated and harden when cooled. Typical of the thermoplastic
family are the styrene polymers and copolymers, acrylics,
cellulosics, polyethylenes, polypropylene, vinyls and nylons.
(Plastics Engineering Handbook of The Society of the Plastics
Industry, Inc., edited by Michael L. Berins, 1991).
Thermoset:
A material that will undergo or has undergone a chemical reaction
through the application of heat and pressure, catalysts,
ultraviolet light, etc., leading to a relatively infusible state.
Typical of the plastics in the thermosetting family are the
aminos (melamine and urea), most polyesters, alkyds, epoxies, and
phenolics. (Plastics Engineering Handbook of The Society of the
Plastics Industry, Inc., edited by Michael L. Berins, 1991).
Unit Pricing:
Also known as variable rate pricing or pay-as-you-throw, is a
system under which residents pay for municipal waste management
services by unit of waste collected rather than through a fixed
fee. Note: 1) Costs under unit pricing systems can be allocated
based on either volume or weight; 2) Fixed fee systems usually
collect such fees through property taxes regardless quantity of
waste collected. (Pay-As-You-Throw; Lessons Learned About Unit
Pricing. U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response,
EPA530-R-94-004, April 1994).
Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC):
In addition to its stable physical properties, PVC has excellent
transparency, chemical resistance, long-term stability, good
weatherability, flow characteristics and stable electrical
properties. The diverse slate of vinyl products can be broadly
divided into rigid and flexible materials. Rigid applications,
accounting for 60 percent of total vinyl production, are
concentrated in construction markets which include pipe and
fittings, siding, carpet backing and windows. Bottles and
packaging sheet are also major rigid markets. Flexible vinyl is
used in wire and cable insulation, film and sheet, floor
coverings, synthetic-leather products, coatings, blood bags,
medical tubing and many other applications. (Adapted from Modern
Plastics Encyclopedia 1995).
Waste Reduction
Source Reduction: The design, manufacture, use or reuse of
materials or products (including packages) to reduce their amount
or toxicity throughout their useful life and when they are
reused, recycled, landfilled or incinerated. Because it is
intended to reduce pollution and conserve resources, source
reduction should not increase the net amount or toxicity of
wastes generated throughout the life of a product. Source
reduction is sometimes referred to as waste prevention. (National
Recycling Coalition: Definitions Approved by NRC Board of
Directors, September 10, 1995).
Waste-To-Energy
The conversion and recovery of the energy value in waste
materials through the application of high temperature, controlled
combustion. The recovered thermal energy can then be converted to
electrical energy in steam driven turbine generators for plant
use and for export/sale, or it can be exported and sold directly
as steam or hot water for industrial processes and space heating.
The recovered energy also can be used to generate chilled water
for industrial processes or air conditioning. Most
waste-to-energy projects employ combustion facilities
specifically designed to accommodate the anticipated waste
deliveries. These state-of-the-art, dedicated boilers are
designed to extract the maximum energy value from the delivered
waste materials and to simultaneously reduce the generation of
potentially harmful gases and residues from the combustion
process to well below stringent regulatory levels. The waste
materials routinely delivered to such facilities include
municipal solid wastes (MSW) such as residential and commercial
wastes; non-hazardous institutional wastes; and non-hazardous,
non-manufacturing industrial solid wastes. Industrial plastic
wastes and post-consumer plastic plastics that cannot be
economically recycled provide an excellent source of fuel for
waste-to-energy facilities. There are other waste-to-energy
projects that utilize existing, appropriately modified industrial
or utility boilers to combust specially prepared fuels derived
from solid wastes-these are called refuse derived fuels, or RDF.
(Integrated Waste Services Association, "Waste Energy," IWSA,
Washington, Date Unknown; Keep America Beautiful, Inc.,
"Overview: Solid Waste Disposal Alternatives," KAB, Inc.,
Stamford, Conn., April 1989).
Waste Wise:
A program initiated by EPA in 1994 to assist businesses in taking
cost-effective actions to reduce solid waste through waste
prevention, recycling collection, and buying or manufacturing
recycled products. (Waste Wi$e; EPA's Voluntary Program for
Reducing Business Solid Waste. U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response, EPA530-F-93-018, October 1993).
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