How did we go from a world with no synthetic plastics just 150 years ago to one where plastics are found in virtually every corner of the planet? In this second installment of our Plastic Trilogy, we take you on a fascinating historical journey through the development of plastics. Beginning with early innovations intended to save elephants from ivory hunting, through wartime necessity, and into the post-war consumer boom, you'll discover how plastic transformed from a revolutionary solution to an environmental crisis. This episode reveals the social, economic, and technological forces that drove our addiction to disposable plastic and examines the warning signs that went unheeded for decades.