Surprisingly, the discovery of plastics was initially seen as a way to replace natural materials and protect wildlife.

The history of plastics begins with the invention of celluloid in 1869. Billiard balls were originally made from ivory, but from then on, they were produced from this new cheap plastic called celluloid.

During World War II, parachutes, ropes and other military equipment were mass-produced from nylon.

After the war, the use of cheap plastic exploded, making life more convenient. Consumer societies began to emerge.

In 1975, PET bottles began to replace glass bottles.

It was in the 1980s that it began to be recognised that the abundance of plastic was causing serious environmental problems. A terrible example of this is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which covers an area about the size of Hungary x 17.

The disintegration time of plastics is estimated to be up to 400-500 years. Therefore, every plastic ever made is still present somewhere today! For example, inside You in the form of micro-plastic particles.

Nowadays, we cannot imagine our lives without plastics. But are they really indispensable in all aspects of life?