Plastic manufacturing continues to evolve as technology improves and human knowledge expands. Today plastic material is taken for granted as it is a part of many aspects of our lives.  Taking a minute to appreciate how it came to be may help us to respect the material a little bit more.

[caption id="attachment_941" align="alignleft" width="200"] John Wesley Hyatt[/caption]

1868-John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, more popularly know as cellulose nitrate, a material commonly used in plastics.

1909-Dr. Leo Hendrik Baekeland experimented with synthetic resins which lead to the creation of Bakelite, a sturdy but mode-able material.

[caption id="attachment_942" align="alignright" width="206"] Dr. Leo Hendrik Baekland[/caption]

1929-Cellulose Acetate was introduced as a safer product that also had the ability to be molded and shaped.

1930s-Commercialization of polystyrene took place during this decade that later became the 3rd best selling plastic material.

1940s-Polyethylene was developed during WWII to fill the need for superior insulating materials use in products such as the radar cable.

1950s-Polypropylene became the plastic material to compete directly with the metal industry by its strength and dimensional stability.

1960s and 1970s-Polystyrene became popular for its use in the packaging industry.