The Era of “Miracle Plastics” Dawns

So-called experts from Thomas Malthus to Paul Ehrlich have argued that meeting the needs of an ever-growing population of increasingly affluent humans has the potential to tax the world’s natural resources beyond the breaking point. What they failed to see is the inexorable leap in productivity made possible via automation and new materials. Over the past six decades, no class of materials has played a bigger role in this regard than plastics. The role of breakthrough plastics will only grow as another 3 billion people enter the global middle class between now and 2030.....