There are different ways of making plastic into the shapes we need. Many plastic objects are made using moulds so they are all exactly the same. This means that plastic objects, such as Lego building bricks, will fit together.
These bottles were shaped by a mould.
Plastic bottles are made by a method called blow moulding. A tube with a blob of runny plastic on the end is put inside a mould. Air is blown down the tube. The plastic inside the mould blows up like a balloon. It presses against the mould to make a hollow bottle shape.
Hand-shaped moulds are dipped in plastic.
Plastic gloves are made by dip-moulding. A solid hand-shaped mould is dipped into hot liquid plastic. It comes out covered in a thin layer of plastic. When the plastic is set and dry the finished glove is peeled off the mould.
Plastic is squeezed through a hole to make a drinking straw.
Drinking straws are made by a method called extrusion. Hot, runny plastic is forced through a hole. As the plastic pushes out through the hole, it forms into a tube shape, just like icing piped onto a cake.