In the year since the COVID-19 pandemic began upending our lives, one change among many was the huge uptick in the global consumption of paper and plastic products. Ecommerce saw rapid expansion in 2020 as restaurants shifted to a takeout model and consumers opted to shop online from the safety of their homes instead of visiting a crowded store.

All objects—from toothbrushes to umbrellas to the components of a space shuttle—experience forces throughout their lifecycles. In performing everyday actions like tying a shoelace or ripping open a package, we all exert forces without even realizing it.