Plastic Shortage. Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic materials
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic materials composed primarily of polymers. Nov 18, 2025 · Plastic coverage from Scientific American, featuring news and articles about advances in the field. Their defining characteristic, plasticity, allows them to be molded, extruded, or pressed into a diverse range of solid forms. The first synthetic plastic – Bakelite – was produced in 1907, marking the beginning of the global plastics industry. Oct 31, 2025 · Plastic products are generally versatile, durable and lightweight. Dec 4, 2025 · UNEP supports governments, businesses, financial institutions, and other stakeholders in driving a just transition to a circular economy for plastics, helping to reduce plastic pollution and its impacts. Sep 26, 2023 · Global plastics production Annual production of polymer resin and fibers. Nov 19, 2025 · plastic, polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure. The meaning of PLASTIC is a plastic substance; specifically : any of numerous organic synthetic or processed materials that are mostly thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers of high molecular weight and that can be made into objects, films, or filaments. Plastic innovations contributed to many life-saving products that revolutionized the health care industry. Learn about the types of plastic classification, history and unique chemistry that gives plastic its variety of uses and applications. Apr 21, 2023 · Plastic is a synthetic polymer made from various organic materials that can be molded into almost any shape. Some types of plastic are clear and transparent, like that used in disposable water bottles, while others are opaque and available in a range of colors. Plastic leakage from the economy results from low-cost virgin plastic feedstocks and recycling challenges with resin combinations, additives, and contaminated plastics. However, rapid growth in global plastic production didn’t happen until the 1950s. . On this page, you can find all of our data, visualizations, and writing on plastic pollution. Plastic products are prominent in the construction, transportation, and packaging industries. Jan 29, 2025 · Whether we know it, or like it, our bodies are polluted by tiny fragments of plastic that fail to break down in our earthly environment. Plastic is a versatile material used to make thousands of products people use every day. What does that mean for our long-term health, and what can we do about it? Plastic leakage from the economy results from low-cost virgin plastic feedstocks and recycling challenges with resin combinations, additives, and contaminated plastics. Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic materials composed primarily of polymers.