Plastic was invented in the early 20th century, with the first synthetic plastic being created in 1907 by Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland. He developed Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, which was a revolutionary material due to its ability to resist heat and electrical conductivity. Bakelite was initially used in electrical insulators, radios, and automotive parts. Since that time, plastics have changed the world. They are widely used in medical devices, and provide safe and sterile packaging for medical supplies, as well as extend the life of food and water. It is cheap to produce, and more lightweight than older materials. At the end of the 21st century there were mounting concerns about the environmental impact of plastic. As a result, the general public was instructed to recycle and the idea that their discarded plastic was being reused, caused people to embrace the use of plastics. I, for one, had the childhood chore of separating all of the recycling every Sunday night for pick up on Monday morning. But what if I told you that 90% of plastics aren’t even being recycled and that this government project promoting recycling was all a business tool used by big oil companies to pad their pockets?