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  1. 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.

  2. Plastic pollution | Definition, Sources, Effects, Solutions, Ocean ...

    Nov 18, 2025 · 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 …

  3. 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 …

  4. Plastic - Foaming, Manufacturing, Properties | Britannica

    Sep 11, 2025 · Plastic - Foaming, Manufacturing, Properties: Foams, also called expanded plastics, possess inherent features that make them suitable for certain applications. For instance, the thermal …

  5. 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 …

  6. How does plastic pollute the environment? | Britannica

    Nov 18, 2025 · Plastic is not biodegradable. Instead of breaking down completely, it forms smaller pieces called microplastics, which can last on Earth for centuries.

  7. Plastic Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

    PLASTIC meaning: 1 : a light, strong substance that can be made into different shapes and that is used for making many common products; 2 : a credit card when used for payment

  8. Plastic pollution - Marine Debris, Microplastics, Landfill | Britannica

    Nov 18, 2025 · Plastic pollution was first noticed in the ocean by scientists carrying out plankton studies in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and oceans and beaches still receive most of the attention of …

  9. How Long Does It Take for Plastic to Decompose?

    Nov 19, 2025 · What are microplastics? What lies beneath? Plastic, probably. See all videos for this article

  10. Plastic - Injection Molding, Polymers, Manufacturing | Britannica

    Nov 19, 2025 · The term polymer-matrix composite is applied to a number of plastic-based materials in which several phases are present. It is often used to describe systems in which a continuous phase …