Did you know that rubber, amber, and glass are also considered natural plastics?

What is Plastic?

Plastic as a raw substance with its chemical formula
Plastic as a raw material
The term "plastic" derives from the Greek "plastikos", meaning fit for molding, and "plastos", meaning molded. In conjunction with this root etymology, and in a very broad sense, a plastic is a material that at some stage in its manufacturing process can be shaped by the heating of the raw materials such that it can be extruded, molded, cast, spun, or applied as a coating. All man-made plastics are synthetic materials created by linking together polymers (polymerizing). These polymers are derived from petroleum, natural gas or coal.

These polymers alone rarely have the physical qualities of practical value, so most plastics contain various chemical additives to facilitate the manufacturing process to produce a particular desirable property, such as flexibility or toughness. This is why your plastic lawn furniture may have a different “feel” when compared to the plastic fork you use to eat your food. The lawn chair may be heavier in weight, less flexible, but overall much stronger.