When in the 1860s, Alexander Parkes developed the first man-made plastic, he had no idea what an integral role the material would come to play in cutting-edge technologies such as the space program, bullet-proof vests and prosthetic limbs, as well as in everyday products such as furniture, beverage containers, medical devices and automobile parts. Since the 1950s, plastics have grown into a major industry that affects all of our lives.