Plastics always consist of large molecules called polymers. Polymers, in turn, consist of many identical small particles that are strung together like a chain. We call these individual small particles monomers. The length of these polymer chains determines the properties of plastic.

Plastics are high molecular weight organic polymers composed of various elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and chlorine. They can also be produced from silicon atom (known as silicone) along with carbon; a common example is silicone breast implants or silicone hydrogel for optical lenses.

There is no single chemical formula for plastic, as there are many different types of plastic. However, the general chemical formula for a polymer plastic can be written as (CH2-CHX)n, where X can be any number of different atoms, depending on the type of plastic.

The term “plastics” includes materials composed of various elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and sulfur. Using plastics can help reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life of a product or package by allowing manufacturers and consumers to do more with less.