Definitions
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Production: Polymer production either from primary virgin source or secondary source (recycled plastic from previous year). It does not include the manufacturing of final products in the country.
Export: Export of any plastic by the country, in any form, be it primary polymer, plastic product, or plastic embedded in a product (plastic share in cars or phones). It does not include export of plastic waste.
Import: Import of any plastic in the country, in any form, be it primary polymer, plastic product, or plastic embedded in a product (plastic share in cars or phones). It does not include import of plastic waste.
Waste export: Plastic waste collected in the country and exported abroad.
Net input: Country domestic plastic consumption, computed as: Production + Import - Export.
Added stock: Plastic put on the market on a given year that is not becoming waste within the same year. This part of the plastic input is considered as plastic stock for the given year as it will become waste in another year (e.g. plastic used in construction or automotive). Similarly there is plastic that was put on the market in previous years and that is becoming waste in the chosen year. The difference between these two quantities is the added stock.
Domestic Waste Generated: Total waste generated within a country by its population and its economic activities. In Plasteax model it is computed as: Production + Import – Export – Added stock. It does not include waste imported from other countries.
Waste Collected: The amount of waste generated that is moved from the point of generation, such as specific addresses or designated collection points, to facilities where the waste is recovered, disposed (properly or improperly) or exported. It includes all collection modalities (e.g., by municipal governments, non-state actors or informal sector). Built on the definition given in: Step by Step Guide to Assess City Municipal Solid Waste Management Performance through SDG 11.6.1 Indicator Monitoring. UN-Habitat, 2021.
Waste Uncollected: Waste that is not collected, neither by the formal or informal sector. In the Plasteax model, this does not include behavioural littering.
Littering: The act of dropping waste on the ground in public areas.
Collection rate: Ratio between plastic waste collected and plastic waste generated.
Waste recycled: Waste generated in the country that is recycled in the country. It does not include recycling of imported waste nor waste exported abroad for recycling.
Properly disposed: Waste that is disposed of in a waste management system where no leakage is expected to occur, such as an incineration facility or a sanitary landfill.
Sanitary landfill: A facility where solid waste is disposed on land, in a full-controlled manner that protects the environment. More specifically, leachate is contained and managed, slope is stabilized to mitigate risk of landslide, waste is layered and compacted promptly, with daily and intermediate covers applied regularly.
Incineration: Incineration with or without energy recovery. Incineration with energy recovery refers to incineration processes where the energy created in the combustion process is harnessed for re-use. Incineration without energy recovery means the heat generated by combustion is dissipated in the environment.
Improperly disposed: Waste that is disposed in a waste management system where leakage is expected to occur, such as a dumpsite or an unsanitary landfill. A dumpsite is a particular area where large quantities of waste are deliberately disposed in an uncontrolled manner and can be the result of both the formal and informal sectors. A landfill is considered as unsanitary when waste management quality standards are not met, thus entailing a potential for leakage into the environment.
Exported waste: Waste that is collected and exported to other countries for recycling or disposal. It can contribute to mismanagement if the waste is not properly disposed by the importing countries.
Mismanaged: Waste that is not recycled or otherwise properly disposed, and that will therefore leak into the environment. It includes waste that is uncollected, littered, and improperly disposed.
Mismanaged Waste Index (MWI): It is defined as the ratio between mismanaged waste and generated waste.
Leakage (to water): Plastic that is released to rivers, lakes and oceans. The term leakage may in general be referring both to leakage to water and leakage to land. In Plasteax output, this term indicates only leakage to water.
Agriculture: This sector involves the use of plastics in agricultural activities, including applications such as irrigation, greenhouse covering, mulching, etc. Products in this sector include irrigation pipes, greenhouse films, mulch films, and silage wraps. The main process considered is plastic extrusion, particularly for creating pipes and films used in agriculture.
Automotive-other: This sector covers the use of plastics in automotive components excluding tyres. It includes interior parts, exterior body components, and under-the-hood applications. Examples of products in this sector are dashboard components, bumpers, door panels, and engine covers. Various molding processes, such as injection and die moulding, are typically used and considered for manufacturing these automotive parts.
Automotive-tyres: This sector specifically refers to the production and use of plastic materials in automotive tyres, involving polymers used as additives or blends in tyre manufacturing. Products include synthetic rubber components and tyre treads.
Construction: This sector includes the use of plastics in construction for infrastructure, buildings, and housing, covering a wide range of applications from structural components to interior design elements. Products include pipes, conduits, insulation materials, wall and floor coverings, as well as window and door profiles. Extrusion is the primary process considered for creating pipes, conduits, and profiles.
Electrical & Electronics: This sector involves the use of plastics in electrical and electronic equipment, covering products ranging from household electronics to industrial electrical components. Examples include insulation for cables, housings for electronic devices, connectors, switches, and circuit boards. The typical considered processes here include injection molding for housings and extrusion for cables.
Household, Leisure, Sport: This sector includes consumer goods made from plastics used in households, leisure activities, and sports. Examples of products are household containers and utensils, toys, recreational equipment, and sports gear like helmets and protective padding. Manufacturing processes considered in this data involves injection molding, for creating durable goods, and blow molding for hollow products like bottles and containers.
Industrial Packaging: This sector involves plastics used for the packaging of industrial goods, focusing on materials that provide protection, containment, and transport efficiency. Typical products include large containers, drums, pallets, wrapping films, and intermediate bulk containers and typically uses the same manufacturing process as the ‘normal’ packaging application.
Industrial Products: This sector covers various industrial applications where plastics are used in non-packaging roles, often as integral parts of machinery or components in manufacturing processes. Products include machine parts, casings, industrial pipes, fittings, and storage tanks. The processes considered include injection molding for machine parts and extrusion for pipes and structural components.
Others: This is a miscellaneous category that includes plastics used in applications that do not fit into the other defined sectors, capturing niche applications and emerging uses of plastics.
Packaging: This sector involves plastics used in the packaging of consumer goods, including food packaging, beverage bottles, and other types of consumer product packaging. Examples of products include food wrap films, beverage bottles, blister packs, and clamshells. Manufacturing processes typically involve blow molding for bottles and extrusion for films and sheets.
Textile: This sector involves the use of plastics in textile applications, including fibers and fabrics used in clothing, furnishings, and insulation. The process considered when manufacturing these plastics is fibre spinning.