Human-made plastic materials have become so essential that it can be hard to grasp that they barely existed a century ago. At my desk, I’m typing on a plastic keyboard, scrolling a plastic mouse, picking up a plastic pen, tapping on a plastic calculator. Day after day, more plastic enters my life, whether it’s a shampoo bottle, a plastic clamshell of grapes or new running shoes.
The invention of synthetic plastics in the early 1900s was a triumph of innovation, with chemists realizing they could orchestrate molecular structures to create materials that are lighter, stronger, brighter, cheaper, more flexible and more durable.
During World War II, nylon and other
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