Can we ever replace plastic?

In our lives we are surrounded by plastics; phones, car parts, water bottles, food containers, computers, honestly almost everything has some form of plastic component. With almost everything we touch being made out of some form of plastic or another, it’s hard to imagine our lives without plastics. Will we ever be able to get rid of our plastic dependence?

The downsides to plastic are certainly no secret. For starters, it’s often a nonbiodegradable, petroleum-derived product. Factor in toxins, wildlife endangerment and difficult recycling, and the plastic industry has quite a public relations problem on its hands. But that’s only half the story.