Plasticity - 100 years of making plastics

Since Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the first truly man-made material, in 1907, we have taken to plastics in a big way. They are in our lives, our homes, our bodies. While scientists are worrying about our plastic waste, others are still inventing plastics and imagining where we could take them next..

100 years on... are plastics still fantastic?

The exhibition has four sections:

The Birth of Plastics - Baekeland’s invention and the rapid spread of plastics as a useful material.

Plastic Dreams - the widespread use of plastics since their introduction, and the properties and uses of key plastics including polythene, polyurethane, polyester, nylon and acrylic.

Plastics Now - plastics today and the environmental implications of their use.

Plastic Futures – cutting-edge prototype products and expert views about new sources of plastics, and new ways to reduce waste and use plastics more responsibly.

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