The Case of Plastics 

The first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite has now become a museum piece and popular collector’s item. But how can you tell if your Bakelite is real or just another, similar-looking plastic?  

A major phase of the research project for the Case of Plastics is over. All of the sources that will be provided to students have been selected and assigned to the characters in the game.  Researcher Mike Mackintosh reflects on the selection process.

The Internet makes it easy to share ideas and opinions. Explore some of the diverse opinions about plastics through a series of other blogs on the topic.

Plastic may seem like a recent invention, but the first synthetic plastics actually appeared 150 years ago, in the 1860s and 1870s. These early plastics served many useful purposes, but, as Jane E. Boyd explains, they could also be very dangerous.

What weighs 9 ounces and saves lives every day? A bicycle helmet of course. These modern miracles provide protections unavailable before the development of plastics.  

The Conflicts in Chemistry team recently finished one of the most extensive writing assignments necessary for the project. Learn more about how we developed the role sheets and the characters we created.

The Case of Plastics proposes a hypothetical amendment to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. But what does the RCRA really say and do?

We're roughly at the halfway point in the Case of Plastics project. Read project manager Deborah Cook's thoughts on the project so far.

The Chemical Heritage Foundation promotes the study of chemistry’s history and how that history influences contemporary issues. Its website provides a wealth of information about the past, present, and future of plastics.

Plastics make our lives easier in countless ways every day.  But if it weren’t for Leo Baekeland and his first synthetic plastic, our lives might be very different.