MATERIALS: PLASTICS

摘要

The world seems to be going poly ga-ga over plastics. These man-made materials are already ubiquitous in packaging and containers—even cans often have polymer linings, as do the caps and lids on glass bottles and jars. The "wood"rnused for TV cabinets and furniture is frequently harvested from barrels of oil, not forests. Polymer threads are a staple in clothes and fabrics. And carmakers long ago began replacing metal bumpers with plastics. All told, last year's production of synthetic raw materials, called resins, seems sure to top the 100-bil-lion-pound mark.