The general uses for plastic sheeting are as follows: If something needs to be covered- Food, equipment, floors, walls, furniture, plants, dirt, scratches, If something needs to be protected from something else like dust, rain, paint, debris, vapor barrier, roots, UV rays, fire, static, damage from shipping.
Plastic sheeting is a general term that is a catch all phrase for many terms in the industry. Plastic sheeting's other names are: liners, vapor barriers, vapor retarders, films, polyethylene sheeting.