Plastic: Difference between revisions

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Plastics are defined as 'any of numerous organic synthetic or processed materials that are mostly thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers of high molecular weight and that can be made into objects, films, or filaments' <ref>Marriam-Webster, 2019. [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plastic Definition of PLASTIC. Merriam-webster.com.] [online] [Accessed 27 Feb. 2019].</ref>. Although plastics present many benefits, plastic waste, generally, does not decompose and therefore persists in the environment presenting a variety of wide-reaching environmental issues, polluting soils, rivers and oceans, and harming the creatures that inhabit them <ref name="foo">Smith, L. 2019. [http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8515/CBP-8515.pdf BRIEFING PAPER Number 08515, 30 September 2019 - Plastic waste.] London: House of Commons Library. [online].</ref>.

~~The amount of plastic waste produced is very significant, with plastic packaging making up two-thirds of waste generated in the UK in 2014 (3.3 million tonnes).~~ Plastic waste being sent to [[Landfill]] is decreasing; between 2012 and 2016 the tonnage dropped from 122,400 to 53,400. This is due to an increase in plastic waste being [[Recycling|recycled]] or sent to [[Energy Recovery Facility|Energy Recovery]], with these treatment methods dealing with 91% of plastic waste in 2016 and the remainder 9% being sent to landfill<ref name="foo" />.

Plastic waste being sent to [[Landfill]] is decreasing; between 2012 and 2016 the tonnage dropped from 122,400 to 53,400. This is due to an increase in plastic waste being [[Recycling|recycled]] or sent to [[Energy Recovery Facility|Energy Recovery]], with these treatment methods dealing with 91% of plastic waste in 2016 and the remainder 9% being sent to landfill<ref name="foo" />.

~~Since~~ plastic ~~waste~~ can ~~be dealt with in~~ a ~~variety~~ of ~~ways~~, the ~~[[Waste Hierarchy]], introduced by~~ the [[~~Waste Framework Directive~~]], is ~~the framework in which processing plastic waste needs to be applied to~~.

The current focus in the media on the harm that plastic cause in the environment often under value the benefits that plastics can bring to a number of applications, including food preservation and reduced haulage costs and emissions and the debate of the [[LCA]] merits of different packaging for different applications is still being debated by many.

== Macro Tonnage ==

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[[File:Plastic Waste Pie Chart.png|frame|center|Plastic Wastes - Tonnage Reported as Generated by DEFRA 2016]]

The macro numbers above under report the total plastics put into the market as the macro numbers exclude tonnage in mixed categories. The macro numbers also do not breakdown the component elements of plastic, but the following headers in the page are the materials as handled by local authorities and as reported through [[WasteDataFlow]].

[[WRAP]] in their most recent report <ref> [http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/WRAP_Plastics_market_situation_report.pdf WRAP Plastics Market Situation Report 2019]</ref> identify 2,400,000 tonnes of plastic packaging waste placed on the market in 2017 (of which around 550,000 tonnes was collected by local authorities) with a further 2,500,000 tonnes of non-packaging plastic primarily from the construction sector. The report further breaks down the tonnage and polymer mix in the plastic packaging waste placed on the market.

The total plastics placed on the market therefore at the [[WRAP]] figure of 4,900,000 tonnes represents 2.2% of total [[UK Waste Tonnage]] but when taking out of consideration the categories of mineral waste (from construction and demolition and mines and quarries), soils, dredging spoils and sludges it represents 7.1% of total waste generated.

The headers below presently only capture the tonnage collected and reported by loacal authorities through [[WasteDataFlow]].

== PET [1] ==

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 Plastics are defined as 'any of numerous organic synthetic or processed materials that are mostly thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers of high molecular weight and that can be made into objects, films, or filaments' <ref>Marriam-Webster, 2019. [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plastic Definition of PLASTIC. Merriam-webster.com.] [online] [Accessed 27 Feb. 2019].</ref>. Although plastics present many benefits, plastic waste, generally, does not decompose and therefore persists in the environment presenting a variety of wide-reaching environmental issues, polluting soils, rivers and oceans, and harming the creatures that inhabit them <ref name="foo">Smith, L. 2019. [http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8515/CBP-8515.pdf BRIEFING PAPER Number 08515, 30 September 2019 - Plastic waste.] London: House of Commons Library. [online].</ref>.
-The amount of plastic waste produced is very significant, with plastic packaging making up two-thirds of waste generated in the UK in 2014 (3.3 million tonnes). Plastic waste being sent to [[Landfill]] is decreasing; between 2012 and 2016 the tonnage dropped from  122,400 to 53,400. This is due to an increase in plastic waste being [[Recycling|recycled]] or sent to [[Energy Recovery Facility|Energy Recovery]], with these treatment methods dealing with 91% of plastic waste in 2016 and the remainder 9% being sent to landfill<ref name="foo" />.
+Plastic waste being sent to [[Landfill]] is decreasing; between 2012 and 2016 the tonnage dropped from  122,400 to 53,400. This is due to an increase in plastic waste being [[Recycling|recycled]] or sent to [[Energy Recovery Facility|Energy Recovery]], with these treatment methods dealing with 91% of plastic waste in 2016 and the remainder 9% being sent to landfill<ref name="foo" />.
-Since plastic waste can be dealt with in a variety of ways, the [[Waste Hierarchy]], introduced by the [[Waste Framework Directive]], is the framework in which processing plastic waste needs to be applied to.
+The current focus in the media on the harm that plastic cause in the environment often under value the benefits that plastics can bring to a number of applications, including food preservation and reduced haulage costs and emissions and the debate of the [[LCA]] merits of different packaging for different applications is still being debated by many.
 == Macro Tonnage ==
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 [[File:Plastic Waste Pie Chart.png|frame|center|Plastic Wastes - Tonnage Reported as Generated by DEFRA 2016]]
+The macro numbers above under report the total plastics put into the market as the macro numbers exclude tonnage in mixed categories. The macro numbers also do not breakdown the component elements of plastic, but the following headers in the page are the materials as handled by local authorities and as reported through [[WasteDataFlow]].
+[[WRAP]] in their most recent report <ref> [http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/WRAP_Plastics_market_situation_report.pdf WRAP Plastics Market Situation Report 2019]</ref> identify 2,400,000 tonnes of plastic packaging waste placed on the market in 2017 (of which around 550,000 tonnes was collected by local authorities) with a further 2,500,000 tonnes of non-packaging plastic primarily from the construction sector. The report further breaks down the tonnage and polymer mix in the plastic packaging waste placed on the market.
+The total plastics placed on the market therefore at the [[WRAP]] figure of 4,900,000 tonnes represents 2.2% of total [[UK Waste Tonnage]] but when taking out of consideration the categories of mineral waste (from construction and demolition and mines and quarries), soils, dredging spoils and sludges it represents 7.1% of total waste generated.
+The headers below presently only capture the tonnage collected and reported by loacal authorities through [[WasteDataFlow]].
 == PET [1] ==