what was there even before plastic was made
Plastics History. Before the invention of plastic, the only substances that could be molded were clays (pottery) and glass. Hardened clay and glass were used for storage, but they were heavy and brittle.Some natural substances, like tree gums and rubber, were sticky and moldable. Bakelite telephone in 100 Years of Plastic at the Science Museum in London in 2007. The exhibition was a celebration of plastics timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Leo Baekeland's invention of Bakelite.