Is the Plastic Bag History?

Our latest outdoor exhibition explores the history of a familiar object from a surprising number of angles.

On view through April 2024
Building Façade

It’s strong, cheap, flimsy, recyclable, disposable, engineered, manufactured, and (in some places) banned. But is the plastic bag history?

Our latest outdoor exhibition uses a common grocery bag to explore the histories and legacies of plastic in society. It’s a story that includes a Swedish manufacturer, dry cleaners, and Philadelphia’s own local government.

For more on the history of plastics and other materials, visit the Science of Stuff.

Curator: Roger Turner
Photography: Annabel Pinkney
Design: Nathanael Roesch

    Republish

    Copy the above HTML to republish this content. We have formatted the material to follow our guidelines, which include our credit requirements. Please review our full list of guidelines for more information. By republishing this content, you agree to our republication requirements.