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Behind the dramatic success of plastics as a material is the unique combination of properties that makes them particularly versatile and suitable for a broad range of applications. Plastics offer a combination of engineered functionality with a high degree of design freedom, delivered at a price that is competitive with alternative materials. To understand the consistently increasing demand for plastics worldwide, it is useful to briefly survey the main benefits of the material in several of their key application areas. Figure 1.2 that compares the mix of plastics produced worldwide annually (2015 data from Geyer et al. 2017 recalculated to exclude additives as they are not polymers) to their application areas, is a convenient starting point for the discussion. The advantages of PE and PP that account for about half the global resin in popular applications are especially impressive. Table 1.7 lists the common application areas for thermoplastics with typical uses.

Table 1.7 Applications of common types of plastics.

Source: Rudolph et al. (2017).

Application	Plastics Commonly Used	Specific Use
Packaging	PET, HDPE, PP, LDPE, PVC PP, HDPE, LDPE, PVC LDPE, PP, PVC, PET LDPE, HDPE, PP PP, HDPE, LDPE, PVC	Bottles, flasks Closure items, bottle caps Films Bags, sacks Jars, boxes, tubs
Building	PVC, PP, HDPE, LDPE, ABS PU, EPS, XPS PVC PE, PVC PS, PMMA, PC, POM, PA	Pipes and ducts Insulation Windows and other frames, flooring, and wall coverings Lining Interior fittings
Automative	PP, ABS, PC/PBT PU, PP, PVC, ABS, PA PP, ABS, PPE, PC HDPE, POM, PA, PP, PBT PP, PPE ABS, PP, PBT, POM, PP PC, PBT, ABS, PMMA	Bumper Seats Dashboard Fuel system Body Interior trim Lighting
Agriculture	LDPE, LLDPE, PP LDPE, LLDPE LDPE, HDPE PP PVC, LDPE HDPE, PS, PP	Bale bags, seed bags Greenhouse covers, silo covers, mulch film Nets and mesh Rope, strings Pipes and fittings Pesticides containers, nursery pots
Electronics	PS, HIPS, SAN, ABS, PP ABS, PC/ABS, HIPS, POM PPE/PS, PC/ABS, PET PC/ABS, ABS, HIPS ABS, PC/ABS, HIPS PS, ABS, PU, PVC PP, PS, ABS, PVC	Printers/faxes Telecommunications equipment Televisions Monitors Computers Refrigeration Dishwashers

Abbreviations: ABS – Acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymer; PC – polycarbonate: PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate); POM – poly(oxymethylene); and XPS – expanded extruded polystyrene.