The first synthetic plastic was launched at the London International Exhibition in 1862, but the plastics industry took off only with World War II – first for helmets and parachutes, then to provide eager postwar consumers with lightweight, versatile, durable, inexpensive, colourful alternatives to wood, stone, metal and glass.
Some 75 years later, micro-particles of plastic have been found on the summit of Everest, 8.9km above sea level; in the depths of the Mariana Trench, 11km below the surface of the Pacific; at the North and South poles; and on remote islands believed to be the last remaining pristine places on Earth, free from human activity.
What is more, microparticles are being found inside us – recent studies have detected them throughout the human body, including in blood, saliva, kidneys,…
