PLASTICS Plastics are man-made materials that can be shaped into almost any form. They are one of the most useful materials ever created. Our homes, schools, and businesses are filled with plastic products. Imagine cars without synthetic bumpers, dashboards, steering wheels and switches; medicine without plastic hypodermic syringes and artificial hip joints. And what about telecommunications, dependent on plastic telephones, circuit boards and cable insulation. Our entertainment and leisure relies on the unique combination of …showed first 75 words of 617 total…

…showed last 75 words of 617 total…or modifying materials to further extend the incredible range of plastics already meeting our needs and enhancing the world's technological progress. However, as useful as they are, plastics do have drawbacks. The biggest problem is that most plastics take a very long time to decompose (break down into simple compounds). Deciding how to dispose of plastic wastes has become a major environmental concern, for consumers of plastic product as well as those who produce it.