Ben Addelman and Ziya Tong’s Plastic People exposes the problems presented by plastic production and pollution in the world today. Fortunately, there is a glimmer of hope. Some solutions are afloat  in this time of crisis. Rick Smith ( Slow Death by Rubber Duck ) is confident that society can solve pollution problems . Previous generations were exposed to pollutants that ceased to exist once the health costs became clear. Banning certain chemicals improved population health.

As shown in Ben Addelman and Ziya Tong’s Plastic People, national and community-scale decisions and  bans on plastics can be effective. In Rwanda, Juliet Kabera*, Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority, discusses their 2004 nation-wide implementation of an effective plastic carrier bag ban. This was followed by a law against polythene bags in 2008. The next step is curtailing use of other single-use plastic items  including straws, plates and cutlery.

Ben Addelman and Ziya Tong’s evocative documentary Plastic People covers a range of the impacts of plastic pollution on our bodies. Professor Dick Vethaak* states that not only do microplastics affect the health of animals, plants and the environment, but also our own health -  if one component is affected by microplastics, it also affects the health of humans. According to Vethaak, this impact on human health includes a higher probability of cancer development  later in life

Ben Addelman and Ziya Tong’s documentary Plastic People details the many  health problems associated with plastic pollution and exposure . Alongside obesity, inflammatory responses and cancer, plastics potentially contribute to fertility issues due to chemicals leaching out of plastics. This affects both men and women, and by 2045,  a lot of couples may struggle to reproduce naturally , according to Dr Pete Myers*. Even if couples lean towards IVF, plastics used during the pr

In the documentary  Plastic People , Ziya Tong and Ben Addelman describe how we are “ slowly turning into plastic people ,” consuming microplastics in our food and breathing them in from the air. Once within the body, plastics could potentially cause fertility issues, obesity and cancer. Plastic in the body also comes from textiles including toothbrushes, polystyrene containers and non-stick pans. Microplastics are a contaminant different to other types, their physical presen

Ben Addelman and Ziya Tong’s Plastic People covers a range of concerning outcomes resulting from plastic pollution. One of the main concerns is the prevalence of microplastics . Common sources include shedding particles from plastic waste, paint from buildings and boats, and tyre dust from cars and planes. Millions of metric tons of microplastics leave the land each year , some floating and travelling, some breaking down and going up into the atmosphere, some sinking to the b

Sustainable’ is a widely known environmental term. However, it is often used loosely and without clear definition. Companies engaging in greenwashing tactics  may misleadingly refer to their plastic products as ‘sustainable’. It is important then to understand what sustainability really means, why it is so important and if a sustainable plastics system is possible. The World Commission on Environmental Development (WCED) introduced the idea of ‘sustainable development’  in th

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GOOD NEWS: The government announced its own New Year’s Resolution in the first week of January: the banning of single-use plastic cutlery...

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