Subtopic 4: How plastic took over the world? A brief timeline

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Although by the end of the 19^th century we were not yet able to produce such large molecules, over the centuries there have been numerous attempts to modify natural polymers. These led to the production of paper or rubber, among others. Thus, around 1870, celluloid was also created – the first plastic that can be considered like today’s plastic. To produce it, the well-known process of nitrating cellulose was used, which had previously been used, for example, to produce gun cotton, the explosives of the time.

However, it turned out that if this process was slightly modified and other substances, such as ethanol, for example, were added to the resulting nitrocellulose, then flexible materials could be obtained. At first, they were used as a kind of synthetic patches, and later they were used to make combs, buttons, cuffs and collars for shirts and many other everyday products (source).

Attempts to replace natural products led several decades later to the first synthetic polymers made from substances that are not produced by nature. The first commercially produced synthetic plastic was developed around 1907 by chemist Leo Baekeland. The Belgian scientist saw a material that had some of the characteristics of celluloid. He also noticed that if one modified it a bit more, added various additives: wood dust, soot or silica, one could obtain a valuable chemically resistant and safe plastic. Bakelite instantly conquered the world, because it was the first lightweight material and allowed the creation of various products from it: from telephones to household appliances, phonograph records, design elements of elegant cars (source).

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 The second natural polymer, besides cellulose, that caught the attention of researchers in the 19th century was natural rubber. At first it was used mainly for impregnating fabrics, and later – after the discovery of the vulcanization process – the rapid development of the rubber industry began. At the same time, it became the object of research leading to two fundamental discoveries that underpinned modern polymer chemistry. It was shown that rubber could be decomposed into small organic molecules, and a dozen years later it was proven that their chemical transformation could produce a material still similar to it. Thanks to the discoveries, researchers at Bayer benefited, and in 1914 they launched the production of the first synthetic rubber (source).

However, the real theoretical breakthrough came around 1920, when German scientist Hermann Staudinger, found that new natural and synthetic materials are composed of large organic molecules – polymers. The ultimate proof of recognition by researchers of the time was Staudinger’s award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1953 (source).

A staggering number of plastic and chemical innovations emerged in the period surrounding the second World War. Almost all manufacturing around the world turned to producing materials that were durable, inexpensive, lightweight, and quick to produce. Newly created expanded polystyrene was used for thermal insulation and shock absorption in vehicles, and PVC was used to make everything from canvas for tents and water-repellent coatings for uniforms to hand grenades and tank components.  Plane cockpits, synthetic rubber tires, goggles, helmet liners, and even components making the atomic bomb all came from plastics (source).

In the post–World War II world, lab-synthesized plastics have virtually defined a way of life. In the 1950s: plastic was introduced into the food sector. The birth of fast food – fuelled by companies like McDonalds – and the rise of plastic production gave rise to a take-out food culture in which people used plastic cutlery on a global scale. This was the beginning of the unsustainable waste that still plagues the world today. In the 1970s, supermarket chains made widespread use of plastic bags (source).

The last decade has seen a shift to biodegradable packaging. From the late 2010s to the present, new alternative packaging concepts such as biodegradable bottles and liquid packaging solutions are beginning to emerge. During the Covid-19 period, the fast-food sector made the transition to cardboard and paper packaging during a surge in food deliveries.

Illustrative scheme for Timeline of Plastic Development.

Source: Heinrich Böll Stiftung (2019). Plastic Atlas, p. 11.

Source: Heinrich Böll Stiftung (2021), Plastik, Müll und ich, p. 44