You probably touched PVC today without noticing. It could be the pipe behind your wall, the insulation on your phone charger, the floor under your feet, or the frame around your window. These products look nothing alike, yet they start from the same polymer. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a synthetic thermoplastic made from chlorine and…

Look under a milk jug, a shampoo bottle, or a laundry detergent container and you’ll usually find a little “2” stamped inside a triangle. That’s HDPE — high-density polyethylene — and it’s quietly everywhere: water pipes, recycling bins, crates, outdoor furniture, the works. What makes it so popular is a rare combination: it’s light, tough,…

Grab any clear water bottle or soda bottle off a store shelf and odds are you’re holding PET plastic. It’s everywhere — but most people who use it every day couldn’t tell you what it actually is, or what happens to it after it goes in the bin. PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate. It got…