Plastic has shaped our daily lives like no other material. Originally associated with
convenience progress even revolution today plastic seems to have lost its utopian appeal.
Plastic is everywhere yet most conspicuous as waste and as a key factor in the global
environmental crisis. This book examines the success story of plastic in the twentieth century
and at the same time presents the different discourses on how we should tackle the global
plastic waste crisis and find solutions that lead us towards a plastic economy that is truly
circular. Mark Miodownik Susan Freinkel and Nanjala Nyabola each contribute an essay that
sheds light on the history of plastics from 1850 to today. A material-rich visual chronology
illustrates how consumers' perception of plastics has changed over the decades. Brief
descriptions of a selection of 40 objects from renowned collections examine the importance of
plastics for material culture. Reprints of fundamental texts about the history of plastics -
from Alexander Parkes (1865) to Max Liboiron (2018) - provide a context from the history of
ideas. The book reflects the current discourse and state of research on plastic with numerous
individual interviews and panel discussions that were held with designers representatives from
industry researchers and environmental activists. Underpinning these conversations are
comprehensive data visualizations on plastic production and consumption recycling. With
contributions by Susan Freinkel Mark Miodownik and Nanjala Nyabola interviews with Jane
Atfield Diana Cohen John McGeehan Klarenbeek & Dros The Shellworks and others.
