Throwaway culture is a modern phenomenon that was slowly impressed upon the consumer after the Great Depression and war-era years of frugality. Through advertisement, the plastics industry had to convince the public that single-use plastics were possible, acceptable, and even necessary. Today it's hard to imagine a world without single-use plastics: our "to-go," "hustle," and "convenience" cultures have adopted and even celebrated the ease of disposables. In 2013, the plastics industry put 78 million tons of plastic packaging on the market, with a total value of $260 billion. 95% of that plastic packaging's material value, or $80 billion to $120 billion annually, is lost to the economy after a short first use—but the ease and low cost of churning out more disposables prevents the effort to maintain that value after it's sold. In detail: This captivating article by Rebecca Altman highlights the lobbying efforts that led to the eternal existence of the plastic bag. "If the plastics industry wants to drive sales ... it must teach customers how to waste."