11Exfoliating soaps
Microbeads used in exfoliating soaps are actually made of plastic (and they are a major pollution problem).
12House 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.
13Bao Xishun
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.
14Plastic tipped cigars
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.
15Ultra Hand
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.
16Beijing subways
The Beijing subways are allowing travelers to use plastic bottles as a form of payment to encourage recycling.
17Plastic lawn flamingo
In 2009, the city council of Madison, Wisconsin voted to make the plastic lawn flamingo the city's official bird.
Latest FactRepublic Video:
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
18Plastic bag ban
In 2008, Rwanda became the first country to ban plastic bags.
19Chewing gum
Chewing gum is primarily made of rubber and plastic.
20Billiards
Billiards directly contributed to the invention of plastic since ivory was too expensive for billiard balls.
