Plastic: Remaking Our World

Plastic has transformed our daily lives, but it has also become a major environmental concern. This book explores the history of plastic, its impact on society, and the various discourses surrounding its management and future solutions. It features essays by experts, a visual chronology, and reprints of key texts, and includes interviews and panel discussions with designers, industry representatives, researchers, and environmental activists.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 28 April 2022
Publisher: Vitra Design Museum

Plastic, a versatile and omnipresent material, has profoundly impacted our daily existence, initially heralding convenience, progress, and even revolution. However, it has now seemingly lost its utopian allure. While plastic permeates our environment, it is most visibly evident as waste and a central contributor to the global environmental crisis. In this comprehensive book, we delve into the remarkable success story of plastic in the twentieth century while also exploring diverse perspectives on managing the waste it generates and envisioning sustainable solutions that encompass its entire life cycle.

Contributors Mark Miodownik, Susan Freinkel, and Nanjala Nyabola each offer insightful essays that shed light on the history of plastics, spanning from 1850 to the present day. A rich visual chronology showcases how consumers' perception of plastics has evolved over the decades, accompanied by brief descriptions of a selection of 50 objects that highlight the significance of plastics in material culture. Reprints of fundamental texts on the history of plastics, such as those by Alexander Parkes and Roland Barthes, provide a context from the history of ideas.

The book reflects the current discourse and state of research on plastic through numerous individual interviews and panel discussions conducted with designers, industry representatives, researchers, and environmental activists. These conversations are underpinned by comprehensive data visualizations on plastic production, consumption, recycling, and other relevant aspects.

By examining the past, present, and future of plastic, this book offers valuable insights into the complex challenges and opportunities associated with this versatile material. It serves as a call to action for individuals, industries, and policymakers to adopt sustainable practices and find innovative solutions to address the growing plastic waste crisis. Let us work together to create a future where plastic is a valuable resource, not a burden on our planet.

Weight: 908g
Dimension: 208 x 271 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783945852477