The first plastic that we really recognize as plastic, as we think of it today, is Bakelite, invented in 1907. Leo Baekeland was looking for an inexpensive form of shellac, which was getting ...

In 1907, yet another fluke led to Leo Baekeland inadvertently inventing the first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite, while work-ing to find a substitute for shellac. While plastic used to be an ...

In 1993 Bakelite was designated an ACS National Historical Chemical Landmark in recognition of its significance as the world's first synthetic plastic. The "retro" appeal of old Bakelite products ...