plastic, polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure.

Plastic products are generally versatile, durable and lightweight. Plastic products are prominent in the construction, transportation, and packaging industries. Plastic innovations contributed to many life-saving products that revolutionized the health care industry.

Improving the management of plastic waste across the world — especially in poorer countries, where most of the ocean plastics come from — is therefore critical to tackling this problem. This page presents all of our data and writing on plastic pollution.

Plastics pose a wide range of hazards for people, ecosystems and the climate. Ninety-nine percent of plastics are made from fossil fuels and generate planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions throughout their lifecycles.

Plastic is a synthetic polymer made from various organic materials that can be molded into almost any shape. Some types of plastic are clear and transparent, like that used in disposable water bottles, while others are opaque and available in a range of colors.

Affordable, durable and flexible, plastic pervades modern life, appearing in everything from packaging to clothes to beauty products. But it is thrown away on a massive scale: every year, more than 280 million tonnes of short-lived plastic products become waste.

About Plastic Products Plastic products are generally versatile, durable and lightweight. Plastic products are prominent in the construction, transportation, and packaging industries. Plastic innovations contributed to many life-saving products that revolutionized the health care industry.