
Plastic | Composition, History, Uses, Types, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 19, 2025 · plastic, polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure.
Plastic pollution | Definition, Sources, Effects, Solutions, Ocean ...
Jan 9, 2026 · Plastics are persistent large-scale pollutants, and plastic debris (such as bottles, straws, containers, and plastic wrap) and particulates have been found in many environmental niches, from …
Plastic - Polymers, Synthetic, Recycling | Britannica
Nov 19, 2025 · Plastic - Polymers, Synthetic, Recycling: Polymers are chemical compounds whose molecules are very large, often resembling long chains made up of a seemingly endless series of …
plastics summary | Britannica
Traditional plastics are not biodegradable (see biodegradability); recycling of plastics, especially thermoplastics, has become an important industry, and the development of low-cost biodegradable …
Plastic - Injection Molding, Polymers, Manufacturing | Britannica
Nov 19, 2025 · Plastic - Injection Molding, Polymers, Manufacturing: It is usually slow and inefficient to mold thermoplastics using the compression molding techniques described above.
Plastic - Biodegradable, Recyclable, Compostable | Britannica
Nov 19, 2025 · Plastic - Biodegradable, Recyclable, Compostable: None of the commodity plastics degrades rapidly in the environment. Nevertheless, some scientists and environmentalists have seen …
Plastic - Foaming, Manufacturing, Properties | Britannica
Nov 19, 2025 · Plastic - Foaming, Manufacturing, Properties: Foams, also called expanded plastics, possess inherent features that make them suitable for certain applications. For instance, the thermal …
What Is Gum Made Of? | Today, Plastic, History, & Ingredients | Britannica
Chewing gum One of the main ingredients of modern chewing gum is insoluble plastic, which provides elastic properties.
Plastic - Recycling, Resource Recovery | Britannica
Nov 19, 2025 · In most plastic recycling operations, the first step after sorting is to chop and grind the plastic into chips, which are easier to clean and handle in subsequent steps. The chips commonly …
How does plastic pollute the environment? | Britannica
Plastic is not biodegradable. Instead of breaking down completely, it forms smaller pieces called microplastics, which can last on Earth for centuries.