A study of plastics, examining where they come from, and how they are extracted, purified, designed, manufactured and recycled. It explores the properties of plastics and the technologies used to shape them into products used in everyday life. The volume includes photographs, illustrations and detailed technical artwork; technology boxes showing the steps in a particular manufacturing process; historical facts explaining how processes were done in the past; and "Into the Future" sections which look at what advances may be made in the 21st century.