TS EN 17615

TS EN 17615 is a vocabulary standard that brings together terms and definitions for the environmental aspects of plastics. In plastics, environmental discussion spans a connected set of concepts such as bio-based content, biodegradability, carbon and environmental footprint, circular economy, reuse, recycling, waste management, and plastics in natural environments. This standard provides a common technical language so those ideas can be used consistently across documents and organisations.

A common language for environmental concepts

The standard relies as far as possible on definitions already established in existing standards; where a term’s original intent or wording is unclear, it adds context or additional definition notes to improve clarity. In general technical terms, bio-based plastics are associated with content derived from renewable biological sources, while biodegradability refers to a material’s ability to break down under specific environmental conditions through microbial action. These distinctions matter because environmental claims about plastics often depend on careful terminology rather than on a single broad label.

Main subject areas covered by the vocabulary

• Bio-based plastics and related terminology
• Biodegradability and breakdown-related concepts
• Carbon footprint and environmental footprint terms
• Circular economy, reuse and recycling language
• Plastics in natural environments and waste management terminology
• Design-related concepts with environmental relevance

As a result, TS EN 17615 functions more as a reference framework for terminology than as a test method standard or a document with numerical performance limits. By bringing environmental, health protection, and plastics-industry terminology into one aligned glossary, it is useful for technical reports, specifications, research documentation, and sustainability communication.