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Human history includes several major technological eras defined by the production and use of new materials. About 3,500 years ago, our ancestors learned to smelt copper and later bronze. After the Iron Age began, people lived in relative harmony with nature for almost two thousand years, but the mid-20th century brought a new materials revolution: petrochemistry drove the development and production of plastics. Plastic has unique properties and has replaced natural materials in many applications. The cost of convenience and low prices soon became clear: over the past 20–30 years, scientists have warned about the excessive accumulation of plastic in water and soil and its severe impact on the biosphere.
The modern world is a world of composite materials and plastics. Plastic has radically changed human life, turning many luxury items into affordable everyday products. As a result, the main advantages of plastics—low cost, durability and strength—have become their main disadvantages. Every year, people generate about 300 million tons of plastic waste, which can take hundreds of years to decompose naturally. The only way to prevent an environmental catastrophe is to establish secondary polymer production from waste.
