Is the Plastic Bag History?
Our latest outdoor exhibition explores the history of a familiar object from a surprising number of angles.
On view through April 2024
Building Façade
It’s strong, cheap, flimsy, recyclable, disposable, engineered, manufactured, and (in some places) banned. But is the plastic bag history?
Our latest outdoor exhibition uses a common grocery bag to explore the histories and legacies of plastic in society. It’s a story that includes a Swedish manufacturer, dry cleaners, and Philadelphia’s own local government.
Join us on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 5:30pm for the Science and Society panel discussion and reception, “Plastics: Challenges and Potential.” And for more on the history of plastics and other materials, visit the Science of Stuff.
Curator: Roger Turner
Photography: Annabel Pinkney
Design: Nathanael Roesch
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EVENTS
Plastics: Challenges and Potential
From plastics circularity in healthcare to changing modes of recycling, this talk will reveal new perspectives on plastics.
DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE
Richard Hamilton’s Plastic Problem
Pop artists set themselves apart by addressing throwaway culture. But how could they make the disposable last?
EDUCATION
Conflicts in Chemistry: The Case of Plastics
Students consider the positive, negative, and conflicting perspectives of plastics through a debate of the issues.