Episode Details

We finally answer the most basic question: what are plastics, really? Most people think they all come from oil and never break down, but the chemistry tells a very different story. We break down the seven resin codes, explain the massive difference between carbon-carbon backbones and polymers with ester linkages, and reveal why "biodegradable" plastics can sometimes be worse for the environment than the conventional stuff. If you’ve ever looked at the little triangle on a bottle and wondered what it actually means, this episode is for you.