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The Issue

You are here: The Issue What is plastic?

What is plastic?

It was more than a century ago when the Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland developed Bakelite: the first mass-produced synthetic plastic. Now, there are countless types of plastic with all possible properties. If you want to know what plastic is and learn more about its properties, read on:

Monomers & Polymers

Plastic comes in all shapes and sizes, flexible or not, and is made of large molecules called polymers. Read more about the properties of plastic.

What are bioplastics?

What are bioplastics? The term itself is very confusing because there are different types of bioplastics, some biodegradable and some not.

Plastic additives & BPA

BPA, plastic additives and endocrine-disruptive chemicals are widely added to plastic items we use every day. But with what effects on our health?

Recycling codes

What do recycling codes and symbols mean and can plastic be recycled? Learn more about the recycling numbers and how much plastic is actually recycled.

Toxicity and pathogens

Plastic contains and carries pollutants and chemicals found in the environment. Plastic can also carry disease and bacteria. So how toxic is it?

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