A Brief History of Plastics

The 1960s marked a significant era for plastics, as they reflected key values of pop culture. Pop culture in this time period focused on two main aspects: an aesthetic of expendability and an expendable aesthetic. The former emphasized the idea of disposability, while the latter referred to items that could be easily disposed of. For instance, an inflatable PVC chair was seen as more disposable compared to a paper chair.

However, the 1970s brought about a shift in perception towards plastics due to environmental concerns. The rise of the environmental movement during this time was driven by a desire to reduce contamination of land and air by pesticides. Additionally, the oil crisis of 1973 highlighted our reliance on fossil fuels, which in turn impacted the production of plastics.

As a result, there was a growing interest in exploring bioplastic feedstocks as an alternative to traditional plastics. It's important to note that these bioplastic feedstocks could also be affected by pesticides, similar to how our food supply was at the time.