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Plastics are ubiquitous, appearing in everything from food packaging and beverage containers to the insulation used in residential construction.
They are almost all made from fossil fuels like oil and natural gas, but what are the main differences among each type of plastic?
Here is a brief guide to the most commonly used plastics and their acronyms as classified by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Three main families
Thermoplastics are the most common type of plastic. This is because they are very versatile when heated, and can be melted and processed multiple times.
These materials can be stretched to a great extent and then return to their original shape.
Thermosets are resin materials that irreversibly harden when exposed to heat.
Within every family, an unlimited variety of polymers are combined with a broad spectrum of additives, some of which can be detrimental to the environment or human health.
These additives can modify the color of plastics, hinder the degradation process, grant them flexibility, increase their ability to withstand impacts, or make them non-flammable.
PP
Polypropylene, or PP, is the most commonly used plastic globally, accounting for 16 percent, and was first developed in mid-1950s for use in automobile components, food packaging, and disposable trays.
HDPE and LDPE
High density and low density polyethylenes together account for 12 percent of global plastic use, as per the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), invented in 1933 by British engineers, is utilized for toys, shampoo bottles, pipes, engine oil cans, and a range of household objects.
Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), developed later in the 1950s, is widely used to manufacture flexible products such as reusable bags and food packaging films.
PVC
Polychlorinated vinyl (PVC) is primarily utilized in construction for window frames, flooring, pipes, and cable insulation. It constitutes 11 percent of the world’s plastics.
PS
Polystyrene, invented by IG Farben in 1931, accounts for about five percent of global plastics and is primarily used for food packaging.
In its unexpanded form, it is utilized for the packaging of yoghurt or in construction.
It is also used to package fish or for insulation in building construction.
PET
Accounting for five percent of global plastic production, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most used plastic for bottles of clear drinks like water and soda, and it is also sometimes used for opaque bottles such as long-life milk containers.
PUR
Polyurethane (PUR), invented in 1937 by Otto Bayer, is utilized in insulation and mattresses, accounting for a four percent share of the world’s plastic.
This material is primarily utilized in refrigerator insulation, as a padding foam in structures, for adhesives, numerous coatings, shoe soles, and in composite wood panels or surfboards.
Other types
In total, these account for 22 percent of plastics and comprise ABS (acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene), used for tires, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and PMMA, also known as plexiglass.
Bio-based plastics
This group is comprised of biomass, such as corn, sugar cane, or wheat, and not of petroleum-based materials.
Their production produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional fossil-based plastics, but its volume is not growing at the same rate as other types of plastic.
Fibres
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