Life Before Plastic

It is fair to say that no modern substance has revolutionised what is possible in home or product design more so than plastic. In its various forms, it can be used to make a vast number of different items, from carrier bags, to toys, to components for cars, right down to prosthetic limbs or as a synthetic polymer used in tissue reconstructive surgery.

Plastic has also enabled designers to radically alter the look and feel of certain items within the home, taking traditional items and breathing a new look and style into them by the use of this flexible, colourful and durable material.

It is plastic that has enabled us to bring down the cost of many household electrical items, ensure they are lighter and easier to utilise. It has also allowed us designers to create bright, funky new items using different coloured plastic, which lifts the look of a room and gives a television set or computer cover a funky new edge.

Given the vast number of uses that plastic now has in the modern home, it is incredible to think that the substance is an entirely human-made invention and a relatively recent one at that. So much so that there is a vast section of society alive and well today that can remember the few years back to what life was like before plastic became so universally popular in commercial use.

The Plastic Time Line

1856 – Alexander Parkes devised what is regarded as the first plastic material parkesine (also known as cellulose nitrate). It was made from combining cellulose, the main ingredient that composes the walls of plant cells, with a form of nitric acid, which acted as a solvent binding the two together. The two chemicals were dissolved together in alcohol and then hardened when left to dry. Upon heating, this new material could be moulded into a variety of different shapes. Parkes soon discovered that by adding different colours to the mixture, he could create a colour similar to ivory.

1862 – Parkes took his discovery to the World’s Fair, which was being held in London during that year. Showcasing some of the items he had crafted from this new material, he won a bronze medal for his discovery.

1872 – Ten years after his success in London, the Hyatt brothers patent the first plastics moulding machine, the first machine which could mass produce plastic items of the time.

1885 – Using the discovery of cellulose nitrate, founder of the Kodak company George Eastman Kodak patents a machine which uses the plastic to produce continuous rolls of photographic film using the new plastic, which he called “celluloid”.

1880 – Metal combs are slowly now being replaced by combs made from cellulose nitrate.

1890 – The world’s first babies rattle is produced from the new material.

1892 – Viscose silk (also known as rayon) is discovered by Bevan and Cross.

1907 – The first wholly synthetic polymer made from phenol and formaldehyde is produced by Leo Hendrik Baekeland, in New York state. Trying to invent an insulating material to coat wires in electrical motors, he discovered that mixing the two ingredients above with wood flour, and slate dust created a durable, fire-retardent material that he called Bakelite.

1920’s onwards – The rapid growth in the development of plastic continues at a rapid pace at this time. Soon many household items are being manufactured from the new wonder substance, and it finds many new applications in the development of many household items, such as sticky tape, gramophone records, ladies tights and toothbrushes.

Additionally, the development of plastic production techniques, including mass production of mouldings, helped ensure that the new product was readily available and allowed companies to produce large numbers of items, in a relatively short time. The plastic boom was now well under way and to this day, shows no sign of abating.

What Difference Has Plastic Made?

It is hard to understate the impact that plastic has had in many aspects of life for the modern consumer and homeowner. IN the days before plastic materials were the norm, many household items would have been very different.

The first thing that would be immediately apparent is the uniformity of colour. With items in the home having to be made from wholly natural items, the choice of colours in the pre-plastic home would have been very limited. Kitchen utensils would have been made either from metals or stone-like materials (such as a pestle and mortar), which did not give makers of that era much scope for decoration.

Another easy observation to make is that the day to day use of these items would have been far more gruelling due to the sheer weight of the items. The first television sets were housed in metal boxes and with all their component parts, weighed a huge amount compared to the modern flat screen set. The same is true of almost every household item that plastic has helped refine.

Of course, another consideration would be cost. Items made from natural items such as wood or wool, or produced by craftsmen who are expert carpenters or metalworkers, would have been a relatively expensive purchase given the amount of time it would take for a craftsman to create the item. Plastic moulding techniques now mean that many items can be churned out quickly and in large numbers, which helps drive down the price of the items considerably.

It is not all rosy for plastics however; there is now a school of thought that tends to eschew plastic household goods and prefers the older stylings. Older kitchen items especially are popular for a more traditional look. But that is not to say that plastic does not have its own style, indeed the 1950’s styled kitchen, with brightly coloured plastic seats aplenty are also one of the more popular kitchen designs at the moment.

To conclude, home life before plastic was less bright, more uniform and certainly harder work. The development of the technology was one of the cornerstones of modern home design and its ease of use has ensured that it has become an absolute necessity in many aspects of modern design. Life was certainly possible without plastic, but it is so much easier and brighter with it.