Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic materials composed primarily of polymers. Their defining characteristic, plasticity, allows them to be molded, extruded, or pressed into a diverse …

Jan 24, 2026 · plastic, polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure.

Oct 31, 2025 · Plastic products are generally versatile, durable and lightweight. Plastic products are prominent in the construction, transportation, and packaging industries. Plastic innovations …

Dec 3, 2025 · Editor’s note: This page was updated on February 11, 2026, to correct the modelled years of healthy life lost from open burning and to fix other minor errors and typos. Preface In 2020, The …

Dec 4, 2025 · UNEP supports governments, businesses, financial institutions, and other stakeholders in driving a just transition to a circular economy for plastics, helping to reduce plastic pollution and its …

Plastic is a versatile material used to make thousands of products people use every day. Learn about the types of plastic classification, history and unique chemistry that gives plastic its variety of uses …

Nov 18, 2025 · Plastic coverage from Scientific American, featuring news and articles about advances in the field.

Jun 19, 2025 · As America grapples with an escalating plastic crisis, the city of Houston, ExxonMobil and other partners announced a new program that promised to recycle nearly all of the city's plastic waste.

On this page, you can find all of our data, visualizations, and writing on plastic pollution. The first synthetic plastic – Bakelite – was produced in 1907, marking the beginning of the global plastics …

In this article, we'll examine the chemistry of plastic, how it's made, how it's used, and how it's disposed of and recycled. We'll also look at some new biologically based plastics and their role in the future of …