ABSTRACT
Plastics have grown in popularity around the world for more than half a century (Figure 32.1). They are synthetic organic polymers that due to the extraordinary range of their properties and their stability and durability have become an indispensable part of our daily life. The term plastic is derived from the Greek word “plastikos,” which means “able to be molded into different shapes” (Joel et al., 1995, p. 4). It refers to a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials which have the ability to be cast, pressed, or extruded into a variety of shapes (e.g., lms, bers, plates, tubes, bottles, boxes, etc.) and are used in a huge, and growing, range of applications from packaging products such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, detergents and chemicals to buildings; from cars to medical devices, toys, clothes, and so on. Thus, they comprise a functionally diverse family of polymer materials with numerous grades and varieties (APME 2006). Among the most widely used polymers are polyethylene (LDPE, MDPE, HDPE, and LLDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PUR), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT), polytetraouroethylene (PTFE), polycarbonate, and nylon.
