It’s easy to take plastic for granted. We don’t stop to think about how much it has changed our lives for both the good and the bad over the years. You certainly don’t think much about the history of plastics or where they are headed in the future. However, it’s time to “unwrap the plastic,” so to speak, and to look into this material’s history.
Plastic Before Plastics
Today, when we hear the word plastic, our mind can conjure up countless items made from the material. The word comes from the Greek word “plastikos,” meaning to form or mold, and could be used to refer to things pliable and easy to shape.
However, it wasn’t used as a noun to refer to certain types of material until the middle of the 1800s, when the first true plastic was invented. It is now also a name for a category of materials called polymers.
The polymers can be natural, or they may be synthetic. They are long chains of molecules that tend to be strong, flexible, and lightweight. Because of those benefits, they are exceedingly useful as standard parts of our daily lives. Take a moment to look around the area where you are sitting right now. How many domains do you find that have been made out of plastic? Chances are good that there are quite a few parts and pieces.
Over the last hundred years, the increase in the world’s use of plastics has changed lives for good and evil. Let’s look at what they are and how they are used.
The Early Plastics
Off the top of your head, what year saw the arrival of the first plastic? Do you think it was 1946? What about 1904? To find the first plastic made by the hands of humans, we have to go back to 1856 and Alexander Parkes of Birmingham, England. He invented the first thermoplastic and exhibited it at the 1862 London International Exhibition. This first plastic was given the name Parkesine.
As big of a change as this was to the manufacturing world, it turns out that this early plastic version was not commercially viable. It was highly flammable, and it would crack. These were not exactly things that people wanted out of material.
Based on the work of Parkes and his research, an American inventor named John Wesley Hyatt created a commercially viable product called celluloid. It turns out that it is a good substitute for ivory and many other products.
At the time, billiard balls were made from ivory. Of course, killing wild elephants and taking their tusks is the only way to get ivory. There was a significant strain on ivory at the time, partially because of the popularity of billiards. Hyatt found it possible to treat cellulose from cotton fiber with camphor, creating moldable and shapable plastic. It was used for more than billiard balls. It was also used for things like false teeth and piano keys. He used plastic to create imitations of various substances, including linen, horn, tortoiseshell, and ivory.
This was one of the most significant inventions in human history because it changed manufacturing in the future. We were no longer limited by what nature was able to provide. Now, we could synthetically create much of what was needed. We could make all sorts of new materials.
At the time, the invention of plastic was suitable for manufacturing, humanity, and nature. After all, it meant that humans would be less likely to run through the natural supply of stone, horn, wood, metal, bone, tusk, etc. Thanks to plastic, it meant that tortoises and elephants were at a slightly lower risk of extinction.
Manufacturers began to add textures to the molding process to imitate natural materials. Grooves, cracks, and bends, all became part of the product designs. Over time, textures have become helpful beyond emulating natural goods. Check out our clip on textures and how they might be used today.
It was in 1909 that Leo Baekeland invented a fully synthetic plastic. This means it had no molecules found in nature — everything was manmade. The name of this invention was Bakelite, which was a combination of phenol and formaldehyde.
It turns out that Bakelite worked well as an insulator. It was heat-resistant and durable, and it worked well for mass production. It was a true plastic that could be shaped or molded into almost anything. It was highly versatile and could be used for many products.
Due to the success found by the likes of Baekeland and Hyatt, many chemical companies developed and invested heavily in the research and development of new plastics and polymers, opening up the world to new possibilities. Companies were creating new types of plastics without even using them.
WWII to the 70s and Cleaning Up
WWII saw the United States and much of the world embrace plastics. A big part of this was out of necessity. The order of the day is to preserve natural resources, such as metals, which were scarce, for the war effort. Plastics were used as a substitute. They were easy to make, effective, and could be used for countless purposes.
In 1933, polyethylene was created in England. It was a lightweight plastic that was made to insulate radar cabling. Because it was light, it helped to make the British planes more maneuverable than the German planes. This gave them an excellent advantage in the air during WWII. It was during this war that plexiglass rather than regular glass was used in aircraft windows. This was a cheaper and safer option. Plastic production increased 300% in the United States during World War II.
Nylon, for example, was invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers. It was created to work as synthetic silk and was later used for many types of items during the war, including helmet liners, ropes, parachutes, and more.
By 1940, an article published in Popular Mechanics talked about all of the possibilities of plastics. It spoke of the future and a world where we all lived in plastic houses, drove plastic vehicles and wore plastic. While some of that has come to pass, we also started to have a better, healthier understanding of and relationship with plastic.
However, the love of plastics did not even after the war ended. As a country and world, more and more items are being made using plastic. It was cheap and durable, and it was sanitary. Plastic became one of the most common materials for making all things that were once made from stone, wood, etc. Plastic truly changed the world.
However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses, of course. As helpful and convenient as plastics can be, they aren’t perfect. Over time, there has been a shift in the way we perceive plastic. There are problems with plastic, and one of the biggest problems is that people don’t use them correctly.
Plastics are durable, and they have the potential to last when taken care of. However, many plastic products are billed as disposable. Therefore, many people decided to throw out plastic with the rest of their garbage. The world began to see all plastic as being disposable. This led to mountains of plastic in landfills. Waste increased in the 1970s and 80s, and we knew something needed to be done.
Naturally, as we started to see the mounting waste from an ever-increasing population, we began to look for ways to curb the overuse of plastic. Recycling was one of the methods introduced to help curb the problem. This was a solution offered by the plastics industry. Throughout the 1980s, plastic companies encouraged towns and cities to collect and process material that could be recycled. This went beyond just plastic to include other materials, such as metals.
Recycling has helped, but it’s not a solution to the problem of plastic in landfills. It’s also going to take concerted efforts elsewhere. One of those efforts is plastic grocery bags. These often end up in landfills and out in the ocean, where they can cause a lot of harm. For example, California has all but gotten rid of these types of bags for grocery stores. You have to pay extra for them if you choose to use them. The grocery stores encourage people to use their reusable grocery bags.
We also need to have better quality plastics that are made to last longer. This way, they won’t end up in landfills for long. Plastic has the potential to stay for a long time, and companies need to make plastic parts with this in mind. For too long, manufacturers have been accustomed to making relatively flimsy materials because they could “just be replaced,” which has led to more waste. Some manufacturers don’t care, though, because replacement parts mean more sales.
How Has Plastic Been Used?
Consider some of the little ways plastic has been used over the years. In 1950, we saw the first Bic pen manufactured. Since the creation of the first Bic pen, more than 100 billion more have been made. That is a whole lot of writing utensils.
Of course, there are countless ways that we’ve seen plastics integrated into our lives. The soda bottles, peanut butter containers, etc., are now almost entirely plastic rather than glass. Plastic is cheaper to make and ship, so it makes sense from a business perspective.
Did you know that it takes about five recycled two-liter bottles to make enough fiberfill to create a single ski jacket? Creating a six-foot park bench will take around 1,000 recycled milk jugs. That’s a lot of milk, but it’s better to recycle it than to have those jugs take up space in the dump.
Why People Choose Plastic
You might be wondering why people choose plastic so often if there is the potential for environmental harm. It’s because there aren’t necessarily many good alternatives. When used properly, and when you choose high-quality plastic materials, they can last longer and will be less of a problem. People are using plastics because they offer so many advantages. Let’s look at some of the reasons people tend to use plastic.
THE COST
Without a doubt, plastic is cheap when compared with other types of material, such as metal. Those who are looking to save money will often go with plastic because it has the potential to be so cost-effective. This is true whether you’re talking about plastic devices, bags, containers, etc. Other materials tend to cost more to produce, and most companies like to save whenever possible. Of course, as manufacturers, Jaycon understands the cost of making plastic goods is a larger conversation.
PLASTIC IS VERSATILE
One of the other reasons people and companies choose plastic is its versatility. It can be used to make a hard, durable case for an electronic device you’ve invented. It can be used as a bag, turned into a lunchbox, made into a phone case, and countless other things. It can be just about anything you might need it to be.
PLASTIC IS DURABLE
Sure, there are different types of plastics, and some are more durable than others. However, you will find that overall, plastic tends to be resistant and durable compared to other materials. Plastic can stand up to the ravages of time when it’s kept in good condition. It tends to be resistant to water, storms, etc. It could be used for many reasons and could last many years without worry. Of course, it does need to be of good quality.
LIGHTWEIGHT
Plastic is also lightweight, which is another reason it’s commonly used. Other materials, such as metal, will add much weight to a device or product. Removing some of that metal and replacing it with durable, lightweight plastic can be an excellent way to reduce the overall weight of an item. For example, this could drop the importance of certain wearable items.
The lighter your items are, the better. They are easier to carry and don’t weigh as much, which can lower shipping costs.
PLASTIC IS REUSABLE
As mentioned, plastic can be reused. Not only is it recyclable, but a lot of plastic could be reused or repurposed as it is right now. For example, you can reuse grocery bags you bought from the store since you forgot to bring your fabric bags. They could be used for household items, a small garbage bag for your vehicle, or a bathroom trash bin.
We Need Plastic, and We Need Green Initiatives
People need plastic in their lives. It’s become a part of our modern world, and we can’t go backward. What we can do is move forward the right way, and this means thinking green.
You need to utilize plastic to operate your business, but you also want to ensure you are as green as possible. Not only do you want to help the environment, but you don’t want people to think you don’t care about Mother Nature. Find other ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.
You need plastic for your products, devices, etc. Having some green initiative in the workplace is the key to making it work and showing your potential customers that you are still environmentally friendly. This means company-wide recycling, adding energy-saving lights, going paperless, donating to specific charities as a company, etc.
The Future of Plastic in Our World
Plastics are an essential part of our modern world. Most gadgets you know and love still require plastic to function. Plastic is necessary, and when they are used the right way, it isn’t a problem. Consider all of the advances in medical devices we’ve made thanks to plastics. Think about any electronic device or our portfolio filled with cutting-edge tech.
They have helped to lower costs and to raise the standard of living. It has also helped to reduce some of the stress on the natural world, as we aren’t depleting as many resources for our goods. As long as recycling still takes place, we can hopefully get control over plastics in landfills. Not only that, but researchers are constantly looking at ways to make plastics more environmentally friendly. Scientists want to make them safe and more sustainable.
One of the ways improvements are being made is through the use of bioplastics. These are made from plant crops rather than fossil fuels. The results are products that are better for the environment than traditional plastics. Other researchers are looking into ways to make biodegradable plastics. They want to find processes that will make recycling more accessible and efficient.
Plastics are necessary in today’s world, and new advancements will only make them more environmentally friendly and easier to work with. Does your company have an idea for a product or product line made with plastics? We can help make it a reality. Reach out for a risk-free, no-cost quote!
