PHOTO: A set of 24 Phenol formaldehyde resin (Bakelite) buttons of various shapes, sizes, and colors; colors include different shades of green, red, white, and amber; some have brass fasteners.

It was the first completely synthetic plastic, and was widely used in many products for its insulating and decorative properties. His invention marks the beginning of “the age of plastics.”

Baekland was already a rich man for the times, having collaborated on the creation of the first commercially successful photographic paper, “Velox,” which he and associates Richard Anthony and Albert Hayn sold to Eastman Kodak Co. in 1899.

He went on to get his U.S. Citizenship ten years later on Dec. 16, 1919.

He died in 1944.

At that time, it was estimated world production of Bakelite as 175,000 tons.

Today, it is no longer manufactured, having been surpassed in versatility and ease of manufacture by several of the types of plastic.

Baekland likely didn’t foresee the creation of “single use” plastics, like, plastic cutlery, grocery sacks and food containers.

Last year, the European Union banned several types of these single use plastic items.

And Yonkers City Council President Mike Khader Is in middle of the local legislative process of eliminating the use of straws in the city of hills.