††A plastic is any synthetic material which can be moulded into a shape, pulled into a thread, or made into a thin sheet when it is heated.
The first plastic was developed by Alexander Parkes, who carried out experiments with nitrocellulose. However, it was John Hyatt who put the new substance to practical use in 1869 by using it to make billiard balls. He renamed the material celluloid.
Another early form of usable plastic was Bakelite, invented by Leo Baekeland in 1909. It was a hard plastic that became harder when heated. It could be used instead of wood, ivory and hard rubber.
In 1917 the first commercial product made from Bakelite appeared. It was used to make the gearstick knob in Rolls Royce cars.
Today, most plastics are formed from petroleum chemicals. They include polythene, polyurethane and nylon. Plastics are used to make clothes, boxes, bags, computers, televisions, furniture, some car parts and almost anything else formerly made from wood, metal or glass.
