<P> Plastics have many uses in the medical field as well, with the introduction of polymer implants and other medical devices derived at least partially from plastic . The field of plastic surgery is not named for use of plastic materials, but rather the meaning of the word plasticity, with regard to the reshaping of flesh . </P> <P> The world's first fully synthetic plastic was bakelite, invented in New York in 1907 by Leo Baekeland who coined the term' plastics' . Many chemists have contributed to the materials science of plastics, including Nobel laureate Hermann Staudinger who has been called "the father of polymer chemistry" and Herman Mark, known as "the father of polymer physics". </P> <P> The success and dominance of plastics starting in the early 20th century led to environmental concerns regarding its slow decomposition rate after being discarded as trash due to its composition of large molecules . Toward the end of the century, one approach to this problem was met with wide efforts toward recycling . </P> <P> The word plastic derives from the Greek πλαστικός (plastikos) meaning "capable of being shaped or molded" and, in turn, from πλαστός (plastos) meaning "molded". </P>

When did the use of plastic become popular