Things made from plastics surround us. Almost everything we know, from the cups we drink water out of, the plate we eat from, bottles, containers, bags, furniture are many more are made out of plastics.

So what is the great material? It is a lightweight, can be shaped and dyed easily, is very strong material, and does not corrode or weaken over time.

It is not a natural product. It is man made from certain products, some of which are found naturally. Carbon and petroleum are such examples.

Since it is manmade and not obtained from the environment it is not considered biodegradable- that means that it does not decompose naturally.

Discarding plastics carelessly leads to pollution of the environment.

Because of this, many plastic recycling programs have been started the world over, even in schools, homes, and offices to recycle plastics to make more plastic products, while saving the environment at the same time.

There are two types of plastics: thermoplastics, and thermosetting polymers. Plastics are also categorized according to various other systems.

Thermoplastics are those that do not undergo chemical changes during their production process. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene are thermoplastics.

Thermosets can be melted and shaped, but once they have been hardened, they cannot be melted again.

Most plastic products melt under extreme heat and the fumes can be quite poisonous.