Plastic pellets are any polymer-containing moulding materials, of primary or secondary origin, or both, regardless of whether they are derived from biomass or intended to biodegrade over time. Plastic pellets are primarily intended to be used in plastic product manufacturing operations via moulding, which encompasses moulding stricto sensu, extrusion, foaming, film forming, compression or injection. Alternatively, plastic pellets can be used in product manufacturing operations of non-plastic products, where such pellets are chemically encapsulated in a matrix, such as in lightweight concrete, or physically contained by the product, such as asphalt. Plastic pellets can contain chemical additives and can come in multiple shapes and forms, such as plastic nurdles, granules, flakes, resins, cylinders, beads, powders, micro-powder, microspheres and agglomerates. Their size typically ranges from 2 to 5 millimetres in diameter, though a small portion of plastic pellets are smaller or larger.
Text as published in the Official Journal, reproduced verbatim (including any typographical quirks of the source). For the authentic version, see EUR-Lex.
