2. Ambivalent materials that drive innovation

Plastics have a wide range of applications and are available in a huge variety of polymers and formulations. They also have multiple functional properties, which makes them ubiquitous due to their versatility.

The high flexibility of their forming processes allows for the creation of objects with a wide variety of colors and appearances and highly complex shapes. Their lightness and the modulation of their physical and mechanical properties depending on the nature of the polymers and the presence of reinforcements, fillers, and additives are also a considerable advantage over other types of materials. The low manufacturing cost of common plastics also contributes to their widespread use in many industrial sectors and fuels mass consumption. Plastics, due to the varying lifespans of the objects they are used in, are ambivalent in that they appear to be indispensable...