They’re tenacious, which is very good for a milk jug or a car bumper. But they don’t easily break down, which is bad for the environment. From the 1950s, when plastics were first produced in ...

Seeing plastic trash while hiking inspired a Rutgers chemist to rethink why synthetic plastics last forever while natural polymers don’t. By mimicking tiny structural features used in DNA and proteins ...

Plastic-infused asphalt can also save money. Because it lasts longer and resists cracking, cities may spend less on repairs and maintenance. In Rockwall, for example, early estimates suggest these ...