Plastics

Plastics are materials made by people, mostly from oil. They can be soft or hard, clear or colored. Plastics can be shaped while hot and then keep their shape when they cool. We use plastics for bottles, toys, bags, and many other things. They are light and cheap to make.

How Plastics Are Made

Most plastics start out as oil pumped from the ground. At a factory, the oil is changed into long chains called polymers. The polymers are then melted and poured into molds. When the plastic cools, it becomes hard and keeps its new shape. Different kinds of plastics have different uses.

Plastics and the Environment

Plastics last a very long time and do not rot away like food. This can be a big problem when they end up in the ocean. Sea animals can get hurt by plastic trash. Recycling helps turn old plastic into new things. Using less plastic can help keep our planet clean.

Fun Facts

• The first fully man-made plastic was invented in 1907 and was called Bakelite.
• A plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to break down in nature.
• Some new plastics are made from corn and can break down safely.

Did You Know?

Every year, people around the world make enough plastic to fill hundreds of millions of garbage trucks.