This document provides an overview of plastics, including their history, chemical structure, and types. It discusses how plastics are typically polymers made from monomers that can be shaped when heated. The first human-made plastic was called Parkesine and was patented in 1856. Plastics have evolved from using natural materials to completely synthetic molecules like bakelite and polyethylene. Common plastics range from 20,000 to 500,000 molecular weight and are made of carbon and hydrogen backbones with other elements hanging off to customize properties. The document concludes with a call to stop using plastics.