Plastics are everywhere now, but there was no telling that their invention would lead to the success of products like nylon, polyester, vinyl and brands like Formica, Plexiglas and Tupperware. Plastic: the making of a synthetic century by Stephen Fenichell is a thrilling account of the invention and marketing of the myriad manifestations of this miracle material - and its many downsides.
"By the tail-end of the fifties, America had become thoroughly plasticized. The national polymerization process had occurred without anyone paying close attention, with nary a peep of protest ..."
When first published in the '90s, "microplastic" had not entered the lexicon. Yet decades before, the link between plastic and cancer was established and the myth of biodegradable plastic was being dismantled. As an avid fan of innovation, I'm disappointed that for every headline announcing a breakthrough in the transformation of plastic waste into something beneficial, there are as many denouncing the damage it causes to our health and environment. I hope one day we are as excited by plastic waste conversion as we were when it was first invented.