The First Plastic Is Still Poisoning the Planet Today

Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite in 1907, creating the first plastic that was not derived from natural materials. It was hailed as a miracle material for electrical insulation and was used in everything from radios to jewelry. But Bakelite started something much bigger: the age of disposable plastics. Today, plastic production has grown from 1.5 million metric tons in 1950 to 359 million metric tons annually. Between 4.8 and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans every year. Plastic has been found on Mount Everest, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and inside the bodies of animals and humans worldwide.