All fuels are sometimes used as raw materials (feedstocks) in the production of different products, such as the use of oil to manufacture plastics, paints, and lubricants. En-ROADS incorporates these fuel feedstock uses in the various energy demand and consumption graphs, as well as in the emissions graphs. Read the graph descriptions to learn where this is accounted for in each specific graph, e.g., the ”Primary Energy from Fossil Fuels”.

The best way to simulate recycling or reducing plastics in En-ROADS is to moderately adjust the following sliders:

1. Waste and Leakage, adjusting advanced settings of "Methane and nitrous oxide from waste”, “Carbon dioxide from industrial processes” and “Nitrous oxide from industry” (less new materials, especially plastic, is produced) 

2. Buildings and Industry Energy Efficiency (less energy is used to produce new materials and goods)

3. Carbon price or tax: applies to oil, so it gets more expensive, and there’s less demand

More extensive analysis is needed to understand the exact amount you should move the sliders to simulate these approaches. It is safe to assume that recycling and plastic reduction can only compensate for a small portion of the action represented by these sliders.