1. Plastic is essential on modern civilization, but it is a very new material.

2. It was first demonstrated by inventor Alexander Parkes.

3. This was at an exhibition in London, less than 150 years away.

4. Celluliod was invented for years later. Plastic does not decay.

5. Therefore today we think of plastic as environmentally friendless.

6. But elephants who's tusks were used for billiard balls were no longer slaughtered.

7. Later, it was discovered how to make thin transparent sheets of celluloid.

8. These have pictures printed on to them, and these reels projected pictures.

9. Celluliod was used in all the movie theatres of the 1930's.

10. In 1913 a Swiss inventor was looking for a material to resist dirt and water.

11. This material, what could be easily cleaned, was called cellophane.

12. He wanted a tablecloth, but invented the centuries favourite packing material.

13. After that, their was no stopping the plastics revolution.

14. Plastic has replaced the fibres in toothbrushes, and the silk in woman's stockings.

15. We have vinyl floors, and Teflon kitchenwear. We also have Polythene.

16. This most common plastic was today used to make thousands of everyday objects.