Iterambere rya pulasitiki rishobora gukurikirwa no hagati mu myaka ya 19. Icyo gihe, kugira ngo bahaze ibyo inganda z’imyenda zari zirimo gutera imbere mu Bwongereza zari zisanzwe zikora, abahanga mu by’imiti bavangaga imiti itandukanye, bizeye gukora bleach na dye. Abahanga mu by’imiti bakunda cyane kaburimbo y’amakara, ari yo myanda imeze nk’iy’amakara ivanze n’imyanda ivangwa mu byuma bisukurwa n’imyanda ikomoka ku gazi karemano.

William Henry Platinum, umufasha wa laboratwari mu kigo cy’ubutabire cy’ibwami i Londres, ni umwe mu bakoze ubu bushakashatsi. Umunsi umwe, ubwo platinum yari arimo guhanagura ibinyabutabire byamenetse ku ntebe muri laboratwari, byagaragaye ko icyo gitambaro cyari cyarasizwe irangi rya lavender ritabonekaga cyane icyo gihe. Uku kuvumburwa ku bw’impanuka byatumye platinum yinjira mu nganda zikora amarangi maze amaherezo iba umuherwe.
Nubwo kuvumburwa kwa platine atari pulasitiki, uku kuvumburwa ku bw'impanuka ni ingenzi cyane kuko bigaragaza ko ibintu byakozwe n'abantu bishobora kuboneka binyuze mu kugenzura ibikoresho karemano. Abakora bamenye ko ibikoresho byinshi karemano nk'ibiti, amber, rubber, n'ibirahure biba bike cyane cyangwa bihenze cyane cyangwa bitakwiriye gukorwa ku bwinshi kuko bihenze cyane cyangwa bidahinduka bihagije. Ibikoresho by'ubukorikori ni ingenzi cyane. Bishobora guhindura imiterere iyo ubushyuhe n'umuvuduko, kandi bishobora no kugumana imiterere nyuma yo gukonja.
Colin Williamson, washinze umuryango wa London Society for the History of Plastiki, yagize ati: “Icyo gihe, abantu bahuraga n’ikibazo cyo gushaka ubundi buryo buhendutse kandi bworoshye guhindura.”
Nyuma ya platine, undi mwongereza witwa Alexander Parks, yavanze chloroform n'amavuta ya castor kugira ngo abone ikintu gikomeye nk'inyanga z'inyamaswa. Iyi ni yo yari plastiki ya mbere y'ubukorano. Pariki zizeye gukoresha iyi plastiki yakozwe n'abantu kugira ngo zisimbuze karuboni idashobora gukoreshwa cyane bitewe n'ikiguzi cyo gutera, gusarura no gutunganya.
Umuturage wo muri New York witwa John Wesley Hyatt, umucuzi w’ibyuma, yagerageje gukora imipira ya biliyadi akoresheje ibikoresho by’ubukorikori aho gukoresha imipira ya biliyadi ikozwe mu mahembe y’inzovu. Nubwo atakemuye iki kibazo, yasanze kuvanga camphor n’ingano runaka y’umunyungugu, ibikoresho bishobora guhindura imiterere nyuma yo gushyushya bishobora kuboneka. Hyatt yita ibi bikoresho celluloid. Ubu bwoko bushya bwa plastiki bufite imiterere yo gukorwa ku bwinshi n’imashini n’abakozi badafite ubumenyi. Buzanira inganda za filime ibikoresho bikomeye kandi bibonerana bishobora kwerekana amashusho ku rukuta.
Celluloid yanateje imbere inganda zikora inyandiko zo mu rugo, ndetse amaherezo isimbuza inyandiko za mbere za cylindrical. Plastike ya nyuma ishobora gukoreshwa mu gukora inyandiko za vinyl na kaseti; amaherezo, polycarbonate ikoreshwa mu gukora disiki nto.
Celluloid ituma gufotora biba igikorwa gifite isoko rinini. Mbere yuko George Eastman ategura celluloid, gufotora byari ibintu bihenze kandi bigoye kuko umufotozi yagombaga gukora filime ubwe. Eastman yazanye igitekerezo gishya: umukiriya yoherezaga filime irangiye mu iduka yafunguye, maze agategura filime ku mukiriya. Celluloid ni yo filime ya mbere ibonerana ishobora gukorwamo urupapuro ruto kandi ishobora kuzingirwa muri kamera.
Muri icyo gihe, Eastman yahuye n'umusore w'umwimukira w'Umubiligi, Leo Beckeland. Baekeland yavumbuye ubwoko bw'impapuro zicapa zikunze kwitabwaho cyane n'urumuri. Eastman yaguze ivumburwa rya Beckland ku madolari 750.000 y'Amerika (angana na miliyoni 2.5 z'amadolari y'Amerika). Baekeland ifite amafaranga menshi, yubatse laboratwari. Mu 1907 yavumbuye pulasitiki ya phenolic.
Iyi mashini nshya yageze ku ntsinzi ikomeye. Ibikoresho bikozwe muri pulasitiki ya phenolic birimo terefone, insinga zirinda ubushyuhe, utubuto, ibyuma bitwara indege, n'imipira ya biliyadi ifite ubuziranenge buhebuje.
Isosiyete ya Parker Pen ikora amakaramu atandukanye yo mu mazi ikoresheje pulasitiki ya phenolic. Kugira ngo igaragaze ko pulasitiki ya phenolic ikomeye, sosiyete yakoze imurikagurisha ku mugaragaro maze ikura ikaramu mu nyubako ndende. Ikinyamakuru "Time" cyanditse inkuru y'ibanze kugira ngo yerekane uwavumbuye pulasitiki ya phenolic n'iyi mashini ishobora "gukoreshwa incuro ibihumbi"
Nyuma y'imyaka mike, laboratwari ya DuPont nayo yakoze ikindi gikorwa cy’ubuhanga mu buryo butunguranye: yakoze nylon, ikintu cyitwa silk y’ubukorano. Mu 1930, Wallace Carothers, umuhanga mu bya siyansi wakoraga muri laboratwari ya DuPont, yinjije inkoni y’ikirahure gishyushye mu kintu kirekire cy’umwimerere cya molekile maze abona ibikoresho birebire cyane. Nubwo imyenda yakozwe muri nylon ya mbere yashongaga bitewe n’ubushyuhe bwinshi bw’icyuma, uwayivumbuye Carothers yakomeje gukora ubushakashatsi. Nyuma y’imyaka igera ku munani, DuPont yazanye nylon.
Nylon yakoreshejwe cyane mu murima, parachuti n'imigozi y'inkweto byose bikozwe muri nylon. Ariko abagore bakoresha nylon cyane. Ku ya 15 Gicurasi 1940, abagore b'Abanyamerika bagurishije amasogisi miliyoni 5 ya nylon yakozwe na DuPont. Amasogisi ya nylon arakennye, kandi bamwe mu bacuruzi batangiye kwigira nk'amasogisi ya nylon.
Ariko inkuru y'intsinzi ya nylon ifite iherezo ribabaje: uwayivumbuye, Carothers, yiyahuye afata cyanide. Steven Finnichell, umwanditsi w'igitabo "Plastic", yagize ati: "Nabonye igitekerezo nyuma yo gusoma igitabo cya Carothers: Carothers yavuze ko ibikoresho yavumbuye byakoreshejwe mu gukora imyambaro y'abagore. Amasogisi yumvise ababaye cyane. Yari intiti, byatumye yumva adashobora kwihanganira." Yumvaga ko abantu batekereza ko icyo yagezeho cy'ingenzi atari uguhimba "ikintu gisanzwe cy'ubucuruzi."
Nubwo DuPont yashimishijwe n'uko ibicuruzwa byayo bikunzwe cyane n'abantu, Abongereza bavumbuye uburyo bwinshi bwo gukoresha pulasitiki mu gisirikare mu gihe cy'intambara. Ubu buvumbuzi bwakozwe ku bw'impanuka. Abahanga mu bya siyansi bo muri laboratwari ya Royal Chemical Industry Corporation yo mu Bwongereza bari gukora igerageza ridafite aho rihuriye n'ibi, maze basanga hari agace k'umweru gasa n'umushongi munsi y'umuyoboro w'igerageza. Nyuma y'ibizamini bya laboratwari, byagaragaye ko iki kintu ari ibikoresho byiza cyane bikingira ubushyuhe. Imiterere yacyo itandukanye n'ikirahure, kandi imiraba ya radar ishobora kunyuramo. Abahanga mu bya siyansi bayita polyethylene, kandi bayikoresha mu kubaka inzu yo gufatiramo radar kugira ngo ifate umuyaga n'imvura, kugira ngo radar ishobore gufata indege z'umwanzi munsi y'imvura n'igihu cyinshi.
Williamson wo mu Ishyirahamwe ry’Amateka ya Plastic yagize ati: “Hari ibintu bibiri bituma pulasitiki ivumburwa. Impamvu imwe ni icyifuzo cyo gushaka amafaranga, indi mpamvu ni intambara.” Ariko, imyaka yakurikiyeho ni yo yatumye pulasitiki iba Finney koko. Chell yayise ikimenyetso cy’ “ikinyejana cy’ibikoresho by’ubukorikori.” Mu myaka ya 1950, hagaragaye ibikoresho by’ibiribwa byakozwe muri pulasitiki, amacupa, amasanduku y’isabune n’ibindi bikoresho byo mu rugo; mu myaka ya 1960, intebe zihumeka. Mu myaka ya 1970, abahanga mu bidukikije bagaragaje ko pulasitiki idashobora kwangirika ubwayo. Ishyaka ry’abantu ku bicuruzwa bya pulasitiki ryaragabanutse.
Ariko, mu myaka ya 1980 na 1990, bitewe n'uko pulasitiki yakenerwaga cyane mu nganda zikora imodoka na mudasobwa, pulasitiki yakomeje gukomera. Ntibishoboka guhakana iki kintu gisanzwe gikunze kugaragara. Mu myaka 50 ishize, isi yashoboraga gukora toni ibihumbi mirongo gusa za pulasitiki buri mwaka; muri iki gihe, umusaruro wa pulasitiki ku isi urenga toni miliyoni 100 buri mwaka. Umusaruro wa pulasitiki ku mwaka muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika urenga umusaruro w'ibyuma, aluminiyumu n'umuringa.
Plastike nshyaIbishya biracyavumburwa. Williamson wo mu Ishyirahamwe ryita ku mateka ya pulasitiki yagize ati: “Abashushanya n’abavumbuzi bazakoresha pulasitiki mu kinyagihumbi kiri imbere. Nta bikoresho by’umuryango bisa na pulasitiki yemerera abashushanya n’abavumbuzi kurangiza ibicuruzwa byabo ku giciro gito cyane.