1Drinkable water
If you tie a plastic bag around leaves on a tree you'll get enough drinkable water to keep you from dehydration.
2. Bill Nye owns several patents, including one for ballet shoes and another for a clear plastic bag filled with water.
3. 60% of plastic pollution in the oceans comes from 5 nations namely China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
4. Seafood eaters ingest up to 11,000 tiny pieces of plastic every year. Researchers from the University of Ghent in Belgium believe that microplastics accumulate in the body over time and could lead to a long-term health risk.
5. Many BPA-free plastics contain BPS, a similar chemical that can affect cells the same way. 81% of Americans have BPS in their urine.
Latest FactRepublic Video:
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
6Plastic bottles
The outdoor clothing company 'Patagonia' use plastic bottles to create polyester fleece garments and are a leading manufacturer in transforming trash into fleece, decreasing their dependence on petrol.
7. Out of the 9 billion tons of plastic, humans have created throughout history, half of it has been in the past 13 years.
8. Billiards directly contributed to the invention of plastic since ivory was too expensive for billiard balls.
9. Chewing gum is primarily made of rubber and plastic.
10. In 2008, Rwanda became the first country to ban plastic bags.
11Plastic lawn flamingo
In 2009, the city council of Madison, Wisconsin voted to make the plastic lawn flamingo the city's official bird.
12. The Beijing subways are allowing travelers to use plastic bottles as a form of payment to encourage recycling.
13. In the 1960s Nintendo manufactured a toy called Ultra Hand which was made of crisscrossed plastic elements that enabled its user to pick up objects. It was very successful and helped save Nintendo from serious financial difficulties. Its inventor went on to create the Game Boy.
14. The Nat Sherman tobacco company introduced plastic tipped cigars to the industry. While the government never granted them a desired patent on the idea, they bluffed away any competitors for 32 years by putting "Patent Pending" on the packaging.
15. The world's second tallest man, Bao Xishun, used his long arms reaching 1.06m to remove plastic from the stomachs of 2 dolphins, which ultimately saved their lives after trainers tried numerous other methods.
16House fires
Because of the wide use of plastics and polyurethane foam in modern furnishings, house fires today spread 8 times faster than they did 40 years ago.
17. Microbeads used in exfoliating soaps are actually made of plastic (and they are a major pollution problem).
18. The little plastic thing at the end of data cables is called a Ferrite Bead, and it is used to block interference from radio signals from other electronics.
19. Plastic dishes can't absorb enough heat to evaporate water, which is why the dishwasher dry cycle doesn't work on them.
20. Plastic-wrapped American cheese slices aren't slices at all and are actually put on the plastic as a warm blob that's flattened into a slice shape as it cools.
21C-4 plastic explosive
C-4 plastic explosive is so chemically stable that it can be shot, microwaved, or even set on fire without exploding. Soldiers in Vietnam would sometimes use it for cooking fires, and, supposedly, would eat small amounts to fake illness.
22. Scientists in the Netherlands are developing an ocean cleaning system which uses the ocean's currents and a barrier to remove plastic waste. A 100 km long system will be deployed in 2020 to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
23. In early 2000s entrepreneur, Ken Belanger sued Microsoft for illegal use of his "Pocket PC" trademark. Ken's "Pocket PC" was a 1985-made plastic coin with 0 and 1 engraved on the front and back sides.
24. Many toothpastes contain small plastic beads which may lodge in the gums, are likely harmful to the environment, and are included in toothpaste for decorative purposes only.
25. In 1992, thousands of plastic yellow ducks broke free from a cargo ship on the Pacific. They floated halfway around the world for years and were used to study ocean currents.
