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The English word “plastic” or “plastics” originated from the Greek word “plastikos,” which means to “form.” The word was used first as an adjective meaning “formative = plastic” (capable of being deformed without rupture), then it began to be used as a noun (source). The spectrum of applications is very wide, but affordability and availability also have their dark side – environmental pollution. Plastic was developed at the end of the 19th century and became widespread in the 1950s. At that time production was 1,5 million tons per year and  368 million tons   in 2019 (source). Scientists predict that by 2035 this number will double and by 2050 it will quadruple if this happens, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.

The basic ingredient in plastics are polymers, which are large organic molecules composed of hundreds of thousands of millions and sometimes even billions of atoms. In fact, they are distant cousins of polymers produced in nature, such as cellulose or starch. For many years, however, man was unable to obtain them. What did he need them for? They were born, as is often the case with inventions, simply out of necessity.

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