Despite being all but unheard of until the 1920's, plastic materials have effectively permeated every aspect of modern day life, from the microchips in your computer to the bags you carry your shopping in. The reason why it seems like plastic can be used just about everywhere is that it is not actually just one material, but a group of materials. There are so many different types of plastic material, and a lot of them, like polyethylene , pvc furniture board, acrylic, etc., have incredibly useful and versatile properties.

You would be amazed by just how many types of plastic there are, and how some, like Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), are quickly taking the place of metals in a wide range of applications. Having said that, plastics with these characteristics are still being developed, and though they're useful they are not used widely just yet due to their generally higher costs. There are a great many plastics however that don't have this problem, and though they may not seem quite as impressive now at one time they were practically revolutionary.

Just think how much different life was and would be without them, and what inferior materials we would have to use in their place...