1. © PlasticsEurope 2016 PLASTICS… TOO VALUABLE TO BE THROWN AWAY

2. © Plastics Europe 2016 TOO VALUABLE TO THROW AWAY Plastics are too valuable to be thrown away, as they can be: recycled into useful products recovered as an energy source

3. © Plastics Europe 2016 ALL PLASTICS CAN BE RECYCLED OR RECOVERED! Plastics waste can be efficiently re-used through: mechanical recycling feedstock recycling energy recovery programs

4. © Plastics Europe 2016 DIVERSION FROM LANDFILL The plastics industry supports the diversion of plastics waste from landfill and so provides an attractive, calorie-rich energy source.

5. © Plastics Europe 2016 BE AMAZED AT WHAT YOU CAN SAVE Almost all plastics are suitable for recycling or recovery, including: shopping bags, bottle crates and food containers sacks for agricultural products, water pipes and windscreen wipers

6. © Plastics Europe 2016 MECHANICAL RECYCLING Once cleaned and sorted, plastics waste such as PET bottles and industrial films are ideal for mechanical recycling.

7. © Plastics Europe 2016 RECYCLING OLD PIPES PVC is: the 3 rd most used plastic in the world one of the most recycled plastics

8. © Plastics Europe 2016 RECOVERING PLASTICS Recovered plastics are a very cost-effective fuel source, and can be used to: generate energy for district heating systems generate power for industrial applications

9. © Plastics Europe 2016 PLASTICS HELP PRODUCE STEEL! Certain types of plastic waste can be chemically recycled for use in blast furnaces where their high carbon content helps to produce high-grade steel. © Plastics Europe 2016

10. PLASTICS HELP MAKE CEMENT! In the mid-1990’s, the cement industry began using plastics waste for generating heat. Since then, the amount of plastics used for making cement has increased ten-fold.

11. © Plastics Europe 2016 WATER HEATING WITH PLASTICS Austria’s main city, Vienna, has waste incineration plants that use plastics waste as a fuel source to provide energy for the city’s district heating network.

12. © Plastics Europe 2016 PLASTICS REALLY SAVE FOSSIL FUELS! By using plastics waste in one district heating plant, Vienna saves each year.

13. © Plastics Europe 2016 THINK OF PLASTICS AS STORED ENERGY Plastic products can be re- used for generating power because: they are largely made from oil They mainly have the same calorific value as oil.

14. © Plastics Europe 2016 COMPARE HEATING VALUES Per kilo, the heating value of plastics is: more than 2.5 times that of wood almost 3 times that of paper

15. © Plastics Europe 2016 CUTTING TRANSPORT ENERGY Lightweight plastics packaging means: fewer trucks needed to ship the same amount of product less transportation energy needed fewer emissions and lower shipping costs.

16. © Plastics Europe 2016 ENERGY FROM WASTE Out of 25 million tons of plastics waste generated in Europe annually: 20% is recycled 30% is used in energy recovery 50% goes to landfill sites, but this can also be recovered or recycled