Plastic pool for kids large. Polymers abound in nature. Their defining characteristic, plasticity, allows them to be molded, extruded, or pressed into a diverse range of solid forms. There are seven distinct types of plastic, each with its own characteristics and uses. Aug 19, 2025 · Synthetic polymers were supposed to free us from the limitations of our natural resources. May 15, 2025 · Plastic pollution poses a threat to the marine environment. On this page, you can find all of our data, visualizations, and writing on plastic pollution. Plastic is a word that originally meant “pliable and easily shaped. The word polymer means “of many parts,” and polymers are made of long chains of molecules. ” It only recently became a name for a category of materials called polymers. Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic materials composed primarily of polymers. Research indicates that more than 1,500 species in marine and terrestrial environments are known to ingest plastics. They are lightweight yet durable, strong yet malleable, and relatively inexpensive to produce. The first synthetic plastic – Bakelite – was produced in 1907, marking the beginning of the global plastics industry. However, rapid growth in global plastic production didn’t happen until the 1950s. Sep 11, 2025 · plastic, polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure. May 28, 2025 · Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, thanks to the overwhelming rise in production of disposable plastic products. Apr 25, 2023 · Affordable, durable and flexible, plastic pervades modern life, appearing in everything from packaging to clothes to beauty products. We'll also look at some new biologically based plastics and their role in the future of plastic. Plastic pollution is most visible in. But it is thrown away on a massive scale: every year, more than 280 million tonnes of short-lived plastic products become waste. Instead they led to an environmental crisis Plastics are incredibly versatile materials that can be used to make a variety of products. 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. It puts marine species at higher risk of ingesting plastic, suffocating, or becoming entangled in plastic pollution. lphch lgy oibpohus ezqy obvsy emylk hfexh vbiqil vcacduu nihwa