Plastic Past

Question

Alexander Parkes invented the first plastic in 1862. Parkes presented his findings at the Great International Exhibition in London. He claimed that the material had more uses and was cheaper than rubber. At the time though, it was very costly. Few people were interested.

A few years later, John Wesley Hyatt made a plastic that is still used today for photographic film. In 1907, a New York chemist named Leo Baekeland made a plastic material called Bakelight. The military found it helpful for making weapons. It was also used in radios, cups, buttons, and even fake gums!

Popular Plastics
By the 1940s, plastics were becoming widespread in the home and in the wars overseas. In fact, between 1940 and 1945, use of plastic tripled in the United States. In the 1970s, plastic bottles began being used for what they are best known for—soft drinks.

Plastic Problems
The world’s love of plastic does not come without issues though. Plastic has become the number one source of trash in the world. For example, the United States alone uses 1,500 plastic bottles every second, and most of those bottles end up in a landfill. Recycling cuts into the problem. However, the real solution is reusing your bottles.

Plastic Fun
There is so much plastic bottle waste that David de Rothschild decided to make an entire ship out of trashed bottles. He named the boat Plastiki. The boat was so solid that he led a crew on a 12,000-mile sea mission!
Question

Based on information in the text and the timeline, what was John Wesley Hyatt’s invention called?
Responses

A CelluloidCelluloid

B Man-madeMan-made

C PlastikiPlastiki

D Bakelight

Answer 1

A Celluloid