Products Made of Recyclable Plastics

In 1907 Leo Bakeland patented Bakelite®, the first fully synthetic polymer. The market for recyclable plastics has grown rapidly since Bakeland's discovery. Today, chemists are examining the potential for new applications of polymers including molecular information storage and the conduction and storage of light and electricity. More than half of American chemists and chemical engineers are employed by polymer-related industries. The recyclable plastics industry in the United States employs more than three million and contributes more than one hundred billion dollars to the U.S. gross national product.

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