This symposium, supported by the Victoria and Albert Museum, was held to celebrate and disseminate the findings of the EU funded project, Preservation of Plastic ARTefacts (PopART). It brought together academics, artists, designers, manufacturers, conservators and curators to discuss the impact of plastics on art and design and their future potential in our lives. A thread running through the papers and discussion was eco design and sustainable use of plastics. Dr Mathew Philip was, at the time of the seminar, Academic Leader in Polymer Technology at the London Metropolitan Polymer Centre. His research activities include multiple recycling of HDPE, PP, ABS and polymer blends; design and development of components from recycled polymers and composites; and sports product evaluation. He provided an introduction to the issues of the day under the title An introduction to polymers and their impact on everyday life.