Our love affair with man-made plastics really began in the 19th
century with a material derived from cellulose called Parkesine
after its British inventor Alexander Parkes. Now there are around
45 unique types of plastics, each with dozens of variations. The
key feature of all plastics is that they are polymers, ie large
molecules consisting of chains of linked monomers sub-units. Most
derive from oil. Manufacturers are able to alter the physical
structure to suit particular applications. Additives (sometimes
chemical, sometimes natural) are used to colour the plastic or give
it particular properties.
The uses of plastics are too numerous to count and not always
readily apparent, such as the use of microplastics within paints
and inks. However, the very affordability and ubiquity of plastic
is also its Achilles' heel: being cheap to mass produce it is
often low cost and correspondingly readily discarded after use.
Plastic packaging was famously pictured in Blue Planet
