Due to the versatility of plastics, they can be put to diverse range of applications. Packaging is one of them. The essential function of packaging is to safeguard the quality of goods- all kinds of products like, fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, prepared food, electronic equipment, industrial equipment etc. It proves essential especially during shipping, handling and marketing. Plastic packaging can prove to be cost effective, offers better protection, conserves resources as well as creates less wastage.

Different resins of plastics account for different packaging requirements and applications due to their versatility:

1. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)/ Vinyl:

PVC has wide applications due its attributes like clarity, cling and puncture resistance, chemical resistance, strength, corrosion resistance and stable electrical properties. It can have rigid applications like in construction sector for pipes and fittings, windows etc. It can also have flexible applications in making wires, insulation, film to pack fresh meat, blood bags, floor coverings etc.

2. PET or PETE (PolyEthylene Terephtalate):

With its properties of being a gas and moisture barrier and toughness; PET’s are used for carbonated beverage applications. Being heat resistant, it can be used as heatable pre-prepared trays. In fact, it is also put to diverse uses like fibers for carpets, bottles, clothes, food containers, precision molded parts etc.

3. HDPE (High Density Polyethylene):

HDPE has protective barrier and chemical and moisture resistance properties. Hence it is used for water, juice, milk containers as well as containers for detergents and other household & industrial chemicals. Generally it is used to make bread trays, beverage cases and in the form of a film it can be used to package snacks, margarines and liners of cereals boxes. It can be used in food packaging only where they do not need oxygen or carbon dioxide as barriers.

4. LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene):

LDPE has properties of being transparent, tough, flexible and low melting point. Due to this, it is used in applications requiring heat sealing, making coating for milk cartons, garbage bags, grocery bags, bottles with flexibility, stretch films etc. It is also used in making wires as it has stable electrical properties and is used to manufacture flexible

5. PP (Polypropylene):

Polypropylene is chemical and water resistant, has high tensile strength and high melting point. Thus, it can hold hot liquids. It is also used to make caps, lids, fibers for fabrics & carpets, ketchup bottles, syrup bottles, medicine bottles, yogurt container, battery casings etc.

6. PS (Polystyrene):

PS can be both rigid and foamed and hence has a lot of versatility. It also has properties of being clear and having high thermal insulation. Foamed Polystyrene or Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) can be used to make trays for meat, fish & cheese, egg cartons, coffee cups, packaging for electronic appliances etc. Rigid Polystyrene is hard and is used for packaging medical, food & electronic products and is used in laboratory ware as well.

Plastics save energy as well, since the time of their manufacture and in the usage as well.

1. Energy consumption by a unit of plastic polymers is about one-seventh of that of steel. These are polymers like PP/HDPE/LDPE/PS.

2. Plastic pipes made from HDPE can be used to transport industrial gas, acidic and corrosive liquids in order to avoid aberration through leakage of metallic pipes. Hence, overall frictional loss in plastic pipes and fittings, pipes for irrigation system is less. This saves a lot of energy.

3. Replacing blades of fan with plastic also saves energy.

4. Use of translucent or transparent FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) sheets instead of normally used corrugated iron sheets or asbestos sheets can help in saving energy.

5. Scarce petroleum products can be conserved by making fuels efficient through addition of polymers. This makes the engines more efficient as well.

6. Plastic bags use only one-third of the energy required to make similar paper bags.

7. More than 50 billion kWh of electricity is saved annually by making appliances more energy efficient through use of plastic.

8. Being lightweight, plastics have very cost effective transportation cost. Handling costs of plastics are also substantially reduced as they are breakage and dent resistant. Plastic bags generate 70-80% less waste as compared to paper bags. Plastics’ less weight and volume reduces storage as well as trash disposal costs.

9. Plastics add up to increased productivity and large savings as they increase life of major appliances. Construction industry uses plastic due to their ease of installation, energy efficiency, appearance as well as durability.

10. Plastics are hence considered to create resource efficiency, decrease wastage, create less pollution and utilize fewer potentially toxic ingredients. Due to the fact that plastics can be reused, this as well adds on to the conservation of resources.

11. There are also ways to recover heat energy in special combustion chambers from waste. And in comparison to food wastes, paper, news print and other municipal solid waste; plastics, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene generate a lot higher heat energy. Recovery of energy is becoming increasingly vital in the industrial world today to meet power needs.