It took years of industry advocacy before the cellophane sack, invented in the 1960s, caught on. In the 1960s, plastics were just becoming popular. Polyethylene, which today is one of the world's most ubiquitous plastics, had been created in 1898, and then again in 1933.

When was plastic first used commercially?

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was first polymerised between 1838-1872. A key breakthrough came in 1907, when Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland created Bakelite, the first real synthetic, mass-produced plastic.

When did disposable plastic become popular?

Introduction to American Shoppers

Single-use plastic shopping bags first became available in the U.S. in 1979. In 1982, two of the largest grocery store chains in the country, Safeway and Kroger, began offering single-use plastic bags to their customers.