Let's face it, holiday shopping can be stressful…the crowds, the lines, the insanity. Shopping online has quickly become the calling card of smart shoppers for the holiday season and nothing beats the convenience of Cyber Monday sales, which allow you to shop via your computer from home. Over the past several years, Cyber Monday has quickly become one of the biggest shopping days of the year. What’s more, online retailers’ Monday sales can be just as impressive as those of their brick-and-mortar counterparts on Friday. Did you know that petrochemicals play a key role in your online shopping? No Cyber Monday would be possible without your computer which includes many petrochemical-based parts. For example, computer housings and keyboards are made from acrylonitrile styrene butadiene (ABS) which can be derived from the petrochemicals propylene, benzene and butadiene as starting materials. The insulation used for computer cables can be made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which are derived from the petrochemical ethylene. When it comes to computer monitors, monitor casings can be made from ABS or polystyrene (derived from ethylene or benzene as a starting material). Once you have selected the perfect gifts, next up is paying for them. Whether it is American Express, Visa or Mastercard, your credit cards are all made from PVC (derived from the petrochemical ethylene). After the order is placed, your last step (once the gift arrives) is to wrap it in festive holiday materials. Both wrapping paper as well as the ribbon can be made from polyethylene (derived from the petrochemical ethylene). In the end you may decide that the best gift is a gift card. Did I mention that they are also made from PVC (created from the petrochemical ethylene as a building block)? As you do your part to help e-commerce sales hit new records on Cyber Monday, don’t forget to take a moment to thank the wonderful world of petrochemicals. Without them, you'd be stuck in the Black Friday lines with the rest of the turkeys.