This is the third part of our series, The History of Plastic. You can find the first chapter on the invention of throwaway living here and the second part on McDonald’s role in the single-use plastic crisis here.

The start of the 20th century started precariously enough, as the geopolitical machinations of the world’s superpowers eventually led to a series of wars, plagues, and economic calamity that would culminate into World War II and the ushering in of the nuclear age. Those that had survived the first half of the century were ready for happier times, taking advantage of the advancements in industry and technology. Synthetic materials such as plastic helped create a life with more conveniences than ever before, and consumers, tired of austerity, embraced the new age of plastics.

That life of convenience came with a hidden or perhaps ignored, consequence to the environment. One could understand the reluctance to acknowledge the potentially destructive nature of this reliance on plastics, especially when used to make disposable items, people were ready to live it up a bit. But it wouldn’t take long to see the repercussions, and by the early 70s, a movement aimed at calling attention to the worsening state of the planet started to grow.