Plastic Glossary

·      ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): A strong, tough plastic used in helmets, toys, and electronics.

·      Additives: Substances added to plastics to improve flexibility, color, or durability.

·      Agricultural Plastics: Plastics used for greenhouses, irrigation, and crop protection.

·      Amorphous Polymer: Plastic with a random molecular structure, usually transparent.

·      Annealing: Heating and cooling plastic slowly to remove internal stress.

·      Antioxidants: Additives that prevent degradation caused by heat or oxygen.

·      Automotive Plastics: Used for dashboards, bumpers, and interior parts of vehicles.

·      Awareness Campaign: Initiatives to inform the public about responsible plastic use.

·      Bags (Reusable): Bags made for repeated use, replacing single-use plastics.

·      Barrier Plastic: Plastic designed to resist moisture or gas penetration.

·      Bio-based Plastic: Plastic partly or wholly derived from renewable materials like corn or sugarcane.

·      Biodegradable Plastic: Plastic that breaks down naturally through microorganisms.

·      Bioplastics: Environmentally friendlier plastics derived from natural resources.

·      Blow Molding: A process used to form hollow plastic objects like bottles.

·      BPGMEA: Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

·      Brittleness: The tendency of plastic to break rather than bend.

·      Calendering: Flattening plastic into sheets by rolling.

·      Catalyst: Substance that speeds up chemical reactions in plastic production.

·      Chemical Recycling: Breaking down plastics into their base molecules for reuse.

·      Circular Economy: A system that keeps materials in use through reuse and recycling.

·      Clean-Up Drive: Organized effort to remove plastic waste from streets or beaches.

·      Colorants: Dyes or pigments added to plastics for color.

·      Compostable Plastic: Plastic that decomposes into natural materials in composting conditions.

·      Compression Molding: Molding heated plastic under pressure to form products.

·      Consumer Responsibility: The role individuals play in reducing plastic waste.

·      Construction Plastics: Used in pipes, roofing, and insulation materials.

·      Cross-linking: Chemical bonding that makes plastics more rigid and durable.

·      Degradation: Breakdown of plastic due to heat, light, or chemicals.

·      Density: Weight per unit volume; helps identify plastic types.

·      Department of Environment (DoE): The government body responsible for environmental regulation in Bangladesh.

·      Downcycling: Recycling into lower-value materials.

·      Durability: The ability of plastic to resist wear, pressure, or damage.

·      Eco-Club: A school group promoting awareness about environmental issues.

·      Eco-Design: Designing products to minimize environmental impact.

·      Elasticity: The ability of plastic to return to its original shape after stretching.

·      Energy Recovery: Converting plastic waste into usable energy.

·      EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility): Producers’ obligation to manage the recycling of their products.

·      Extrusion: Forcing molten plastic through a die to create continuous shapes.

·      Filler: Material added to plastics to reduce cost or improve properties.

·      Film: Thin sheets of plastic used for wrapping or packaging.

·      Flame Retardants: Additives that make plastic less flammable.

·      Food-Grade Plastic: Safe plastic suitable for packaging or storing food.

·      Glass-Reinforced Plastic: Plastic strengthened with fine glass fibers.

·      Granules: Small pellets of raw plastic used for manufacturing.

·      Green Jobs: Employment in environmental and recycling industries.

·      Greenwashing: Misleading claims about a product being environmentally friendly.

·      Hardness: Resistance to scratching or indentation.

·      HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene): Strong, recyclable plastic used for containers and pipes.

·      Hydrophobic: A property of repelling water; most plastics are hydrophobic.

·      Impact Strength: Resistance to breaking under sudden force.

·      Injection Molding: Injecting molten plastic into a mold to form precise shapes.

·      Insulation: Plastic material that resists heat or electricity transfer.

·      Jute Alternatives: Biodegradable natural fibers used in place of plastic bags

·      Lamination: Bonding multiple layers for strength or protection.

·      LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene): Soft, flexible plastic used in bags and films.

·      Lightweighting: Reducing plastic weight while maintaining function.

·      Marine Litter: Plastic waste found in oceans, rivers, or beaches.

·      Material Recovery Facility (MRF): A facility where recyclable plastics are sorted and processed.

·      Mechanical Recycling: Reprocessing waste plastic into new materials.

·      Medical Plastics: Used for syringes, gloves, and other health products.

·      Microplastics: Tiny plastic fragments less than 5mm in size.

·      MoEFCC: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

·      Monomer: The basic molecular unit used to form polymers.

·      Multilayer Packaging: Packaging made of several layers for durability and barrier protection.

·      Nylon (Polyamide): A strong synthetic plastic used in textiles and machinery.

·      Opacity: Measure of how much light passes through plastic.

·      Packaging Plastic: Plastic used for bottles, wrappers, and containers.

·      PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate): Common plastic for bottles and packaging; recyclable.

·      Phthalates: Chemicals used as plasticizers to add flexibility.

·      Plastic Pollution: Harm caused by accumulation of plastic waste.

·      Plasticizer: Chemical that makes plastics soft and flexible.

·      Polycarbonate: Clear, strong plastic used in helmets and electronics.

·      Polyethylene (PE): The most common plastic family, including HDPE and LDPE.

·      Polymer: A long molecular chain that makes up plastic.

·      Polypropylene (PP): Lightweight, heat-resistant plastic used in packaging.

·      Polystyrene (PS): Used in foam packaging and cups; hard to recycle.

·      Polyurethane (PU): Plastic used in foams and flexible furniture.

·      PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): Used in pipes, flooring, and cables; difficult to recycle.

·      Recyclers: People or businesses that collect and process plastics.

·      Recycling: Converting waste plastic into reusable materials.

·      Reinforced Plastic: Plastic made stronger with added fibers.

·      Renewable Plastic: Plastic made from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels.

·      Resin: The base material used to make plastics.

·      Reuse: Using an item multiple times instead of discarding it.

·      Rigid Plastic: Hard, inflexible type of plastic like PVC.

·      Safe Disposal: Environmentally responsible handling of plastic waste.

·      Single-Use Plastic (SUP): Plastic meant for one-time use.

·      Social Audit: Community-driven monitoring of plastic use and waste.

·      Stabilizers: Chemicals that protect plastics from sunlight and heat.

·      Styrene: Chemical compound used to make polystyrene.

·      Sustainability: Responsible use of resources to protect the environment.

·      Tensile Strength: Plastic’s ability to resist pulling forces.

·      Thermal Stability: Ability of plastic to resist changes from heat.

·      Thermoforming: Shaping heated plastic sheets over molds.

·      Thermoplastic: Plastic that softens when heated and hardens when cooled.

·      Thermoset: Plastic that permanently sets when molded.

·      Transparency: Ability of plastic to let light pass through.

·      Upcycling: Converting waste into products of higher value.

·      UV Resistance: Ability to withstand sunlight without degrading.

·      Value Chain: All stages from plastic production to recycling.

·      Viscosity: Resistance of molten plastic to flow.

·      Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Chemicals released from plastics that can affect air quality.

·      Waste Hotspot: Area with a high concentration of unmanaged waste.

·      Waste Management: Collection and treatment of plastic waste.

·      Waste Segregation: Sorting plastic waste at source.

·      Waste-to-Energy: Converting plastic waste into usable energy.

·      Zero Waste: Approach that eliminates waste through reuse, redesign, and recycling