Plastics: a villainous material? Or a victim of its own success? – Science Weekly podcast

Nicola Davis delves into the world of plastics to find out exactly how and why they became so widespread, and what can now be done to curtail the ever-present problems they can cause

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Earlier this year, the first global analysis of all mass-produced plastics found that humans have produced over 8.3bn tonnes of the stuff since the 1950s. And with this figure predicted to rise to 34bn by 2050, issues around its production, usage, and disposal, are of the utmost importance. But what is it about plastics that makes them so widespread? Where does most of it end up? And looking to the future - what can now be done to address the ever-growing threats that plastics can pose?