Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic materials composed primarily of polymers. Their defining characteristic, plasticity, allows them to be molded, extruded, or pressed into a …

Nov 19, 2025 · plastic, polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure.

Nov 20, 2025 · For the average person, trying to avoid plastics can feel overwhelming—and maybe pointless. Our writer asked two experts how they navigate our plastic-filled world.

4 days ago · The connection between plastic and climate change usually focuses on how plastic is partly to blame for the crisis: more than 98% of it is made using fossil fuels, and climate …

Oct 31, 2025 · Plastic products are generally versatile, durable and lightweight. Plastic products are prominent in the construction, transportation, and packaging industries. Plastic innovations …

2 days ago · Plastic pollution is poisoning the planet. Some experts suggest making plastics from more "natural" materials, but research shows those still have risks.

3 days ago · Chemical additions to plastic that mimic natural polymers like DNA can create materials that break down in days, months or years rather than littering the environment for …

On this page, you can find all of our data, visualizations, and writing on plastic pollution. The first synthetic plastic – Bakelite – was produced in 1907, marking the beginning of the global …

Plastic is a word that originally meant “pliable and easily shaped.” It only recently became a name for a category of materials called polymers. The word polymer means “of many parts,” and …

In this article, we'll examine the chemistry of plastic, how it's made, how it's used, and how it's disposed of and recycled. We'll also look at some new biologically based plastics and their role …