Natural vs Synthetic Plastic Juliet Craig

This project is an analysis of design materials used over time at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian design museum. Inspired by the “Nature by Design: Plastics” exhibition, this project explores natural and synthetic plastics. What is natural plastic? It is the material harvested via animals, such as: tortoiseshell, leather, and ivory. These materials were being over consumed and endangered many species of animals. To keep up with consumer demand, scientists developed a petroleum based, synthetic material. These materials include: polyester, nylon, and plastic. The use of these materials exploded and ultimately are contributing to our current climate crisis. THis project explored when and how these materials were being used.