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[3] 1856: Parkesine, the first member of the Celluloid class of compounds and considered the first man-made plastic, is patented by Alexander Parkes. [4] 1869: John Wesley Hyatt discovers a method to simplify the production of celluloid, making industrial production possible. 1872: PVC is accidentally synthesized in 1872 by German chemist Eugen ...
By one estimate, one billion tons of plastic waste have been discarded since the 1950s. [52] Others estimate a cumulative human production of 8.3-billion tons of plastic, of which 6.3-billion tons is waste, with only 9% getting recycled. [53] It is estimated that this waste is made up of 81% polymer resin, 13% polymer fibers and 32% additives.
There are differing estimates of how much plastic waste has been produced in the last century. By one estimate, one billion tons of plastic waste have been discarded since the 1950s. [32] Others estimate a cumulative human production of 8.3 billion tons of plastic, of which 6.3 billion tons is waste, with only 9% getting recycled. [33] [34] [35]
Global Plastic Production (1950-2022) [2] Plastics production has been growing globally. The numbers include thermoplastics and polyurethanes, as well as thermosets, adhesives, coatings, sealants, and PP-fibers. [1] Data was gathered by PlasticsEurope (PEMRG) and Consultic, or the nova-institute. [3] [4]
Plastic recycling is the processing of plastic waste into other products. [1] [2] [3] Recycling can reduce dependence on landfills, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. [4] [5] [6] Recycling rates lag behind those of other recoverable materials, such as aluminium, glass and paper.
To make 1 kg (2.2 lb) of polylactic acid, the most common commercially available compostable plastic, 2.65 kg (5.8 lb) of corn is required. [57] Since as of 2010, approximately 270 million tonnes of plastic are made every year, [58] replacing conventional plastic with corn-derived polylactic acid would remove 715.5 million tonnes from the world ...
1940-1945: During World War II, an increase in plastic production is seen as it is used in many wartime materials. Due to government funding and oversight the United States production of plastics (in general, not just bioplastics) tripled during 1940-1945 (Rogers 2005). [91]
Pre-production plastic pellets, commonly known as nurdles, are tiny plastic pellets (smaller than 5 mm or 0.20 in) that are universally used in the plastics industry for the manufacture of plastic products. [1] [2] These microplastics are made primarily from polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and other plastics or ...