Table 1.

Energies of virgin and recycled plastics [122].

Commodity polymeric materials	Applications	Embodied energy, virgin material (MJ/kg)	Embodied energy, recycled material (MJ/kg)
PET	Food packaging, printing sheets, magnetic tapes, electrical insulation, X-ray photographic film, etc.	∼79–88	∼60–64
HDPE	Toys, milk bottles, oil containers, detergent bottles, etc.	∼77–85	∼35–45
PVC	Electrical insulations, medical devices, blood bags, food foil, automotive interiors, packaging, credit cards, synthetic leather, etc.	∼63–70	∼35–40
PP	Flowerpots, car bumpers, carpets, furniture, office folders, storage boxes, etc.	∼75–83	∼35–45
PS	Electronics, medical, food packaging, construction, appliances, toys, etc.	∼96–105	∼40–50