Plastic Pollution: A Brief History

Since the world’s first Earth Day in 1970, general awareness of pollution has improved, but plastic pollution, as a whole, remains a major issue in environmentalism.

Plastic is one of the most destructive pollutants; its existence dates back to 1862 when Alexander Parkes revealed what is considered the first plastic product. It was based on cellulose. In 1907, another advancement was made by Leo Baekeland who based his plastic on a fossil fuel waste product of coal. In the 1940s, plastic became an important part of the World War II effort. By the 1970s, scientists were beginning to be concerned about the effect of plastic on the environment.

In 1979, plastics became part of the American landscape with the introduction of plastic bags. In the 1990s, cosmetics began to use plastic microbeads. By 2002, the honeymoon was over when Bangladesh was the first country to ban plastic bags because it caused problems with drainage during a flood. The fight against plastic pollution continued when microbeads in cosmetics were banned by The Netherlands. There is more information on the history of plastic pollution in an article in EcoWatch — Environmental News for a Healthier Planet and Life.

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