| ABS Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene |
| ACRR Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling |
| APPRICOD Assessing the Potential of Plastic Recycling in the construction and demolition sectors |
| BBP Butylbenzylphthalate |
| Biodiversity The variety of plant and animal life |
| BPF British Plastics Federation |
| Br Bromine |
| C4 Canadian Chlorine Coordinating Committee |
| Ca-Zn Calcium-zinc |
| CCC Chlorine Chemistry Council (USA) |
| CDD Chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin |
| CEFIC European Chemical Industry Council |
| CEN European Standardisation Committee |
| CFFA Chemical Fabrics & Film Association |
| CI Chlorine Institute, Inc |
| CMA Chemical Manufacturers Association |
| CO2 Carbon dioxide. This gas has a greenhouse effect, leading to global warming. |
| COD Chemical oxygen demand - this is a laboratory test that mimics the way substances react with oxygen in water. Excessive removal of oxygen from rivers and streams harms water-born life. |
| CPD Construction Products Directive |
| CPVC Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride |
| DBP Di-n-butyl phthalate |
| DEHP Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate |
| DIDP Diisodecyl phthalate |
| DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid |
| DOP Di-octyl phthalate |
| EAL Enivironmental Assessment Limit |
| EAP Environment Action Programme |
| EATS European Automotive Trim Supplier Association |
| EC European Community |
| ECA European Collaborative Action |
| ECEH European Centre for Environment and Health |
| ECPI European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates |
| ECPI European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates |
| ECVM European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers |
| ED Ethylene dichloride |
| EDC Ethylene dichloride (also known as 1,2 dichloroethane) |
| EDEFA European Decorative Foils Association |
| EEC European Economic Community |
| EGMA European GeoMembranes Association |
| ELV End of Life Vehicles Directive |
| EMPM European Media Packaging Manufacturers Association |
| EPCOAT European PVC Coated Fabrics Group |
| EPER European Pollutant Emission Register |
| EPEX European Performance co-Extruders Association |
| EPFLOOR European PVC Floors Manufacturers Association |
| EPFMA European Polyvinyl Film Manufacturers’ Association |
| EPPA European PVC Window Profile and Related Building Products Association |
| EPSM Engineering Polymer Shapes for Machining Association |
| EPVC Emulsion process |
| ERFMI European Resilient Flooring Manufacturers' Institute |
| ERPA European Rigid PVC-Film Association |
| ESPA European Stabilisers Producers Association |
| ESWA European Single ply Waterproofing Association |
| ETHIC European Thermoplastics Independent Compounders Association |
| EuCIA European Composites Industry Association |
| EuPC European Plastics Converters Association |
| EuPF European Plastic Films Association |
| EuPR European Plastics Recyclers Association |
| Europa – European Institutions On Line |
| EVA Ethylene vinyl-acetate copolymer |
| FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration |
| FOE Friends of the Earth |
| g gram |
| GJ Gigajoule - a measure of energy. |
| HCFC Hydrochlorofluorocarbons - are refrigerant gases and are used in domestic refrigerator systems. They are ozone depleters. |
| HCl Hydrogen chloride |
| HELCOM – Helsinki Commission |
| HPV High Production Volume Chemicals |
| HWI Hazardous Waste Incinerators |
| IARC International Agency for Research on Cancer |
| ICCA Int’l Council of Chemical Associations |
| ICDLI International Committee of Decorative Laminates Institute |
| IFCS – Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety |
| INDEX Critical Appraisal of the Setting and Implementation of Indoor Exposure Limits in the EU |
| IPC Integrated Pollution Control |
| IPCS International Programme on Chemical Safety |
| IPPC Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control |
| I-TEQ International toxicity equivalents |
| JECFA Expert Committee on Food Additives |
| JHPA Japan Hygienic PVC Association |
| JPEC Japan PVC Environmental Affairs Council |
| JPI Japan Petroleum Institute |
| JPPFA Japan PVC Pipe and Fittings Association |
| kg kilogram |
| LCA Life Cycle Assessment |
| LCI Life Cycle Inventory |
| LDPE Low density polyethylene |
| Legal implementation tools and regular Evaluation’ |
| MBS Methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene copolymer |
| MEL Maximum exposure limit. These limits are set by Health & Safety regulations. |
| mg milligram = 10-3 g (one thousandth of a gram) |
| mg/l Milligrammes per litre. For water one mg/l is one part per million. |
| MJ Mega Joules |
| MoE Japanese Ministry of Environment |
| MP Mixed plastic |
| MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet |
| MSWI Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators |
| ng nanogram = 10-9 g (one billionth of a gram) |
| NOX Oxides of nitrogen |
| OECD – The OECD Chemicals Programme |
| OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (“Oslo and Paris Convention”) |
| OSPARCOM Oslo and Paris Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution |
| PACIA Plastics & Chemicals Industries Association |
| PAHs Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons |
| PBDEs Polybrominated diphenyl ethers |
| PCB Polychlorinated biphenyls |
| PCDD Polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins |
| PCDD/Fs Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans |
| PE Polyethylene |
| PeCDD Pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin |
| PET Polyethylene terephthalate |
| pg picogram = 10-12 g (one trillionth of a gram) |
| PlasFuelSys European Plastic Automotive Fuel Systems Manufacturers |
| PLASTEUROPAC European Plastics Packaging Association |
| PP Polypropylene |
| ppb part per billion |
| ppm part per million |
| PPVC Paste Polyvinyl chloride |
| PS Polystyrene |
| PVC Polyvinyl chloride |
| PVC-U Unplasticised Polyvinyl chloride |
| Recovinyl European PVC recycling |
| REDOP Reduction of iron ore in blast furnace plants |
| SCALE EU programme on ‘Science; Children; Awareness-raising; |
| SCF EU Scientific Committee for Food |
| SCHER Scientific Committee for Health and Environmental Risks |
| SM Styrene monomer |
| SO2 Sulphur dioxide. This gas can cause direct harm to plants and animals. It can develop into species that contribute to acid rain. |
| SPVC Suspension Polyvinyl chloride |
| SVOC Semivolatile organic compounds |
| TCDD Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin |
| TDI Tolerable Daily Intake |
| TEPPFA European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association |
| TEQ Toxic Equivalent Quotient |
| TOC Total organic carbon |
| TVOC Total volatile organic compounds |
| UNDP United Nations Development Programme |
| UN-ECE Chemical Industry Pages, including : -Sustainable Development -Assistance to countries in transition -Development on production and trade statistics |
| UN-ECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe |
| UNEP United Nations Environment Programme |
| UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organisation |
| VCM Vinyl chloride monomer |
| VEC Japanese Vinyl Environmental Council |
| Vinyl2010 Voluntary Commitement of the European PVC Industry |
| Vinyloop Flexible PVC recycling system developed by SolVin |
| VOC Emissions from building products |
| VOC Volatile organic compounds. Common general examples would be petrol, solvents and perfumes. |
| WACOA Wall-coverings Association of Japan |
| WCC World Chlorine Council |
| WEEE Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment |
| Weight units |
| WHO World Health Organisation |
| WTO World Trade Organisation |
| WWF World Wide Fund for Nature |
| μg microgram = 10-6 g (one millionth of a gram) |
