From bread bags to bubble wrap, crisp packets to cling film, we are still heavily reliant on soft plastic packaging despite the damage it does to the planet after use. Recycling has been shown to be largely ineffective . We need to reduce our reliance on soft plastics in the first place and encourage reusable packaging. The Role of Supermarkets Despite promising to phase out soft plastics, UK supermarkets have been failing to meet their own targets on reducing soft plastic

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

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Poisoning. Dismemberment. Disease. It sounds like a horror film in the making. But this is the reality faced by many beneath the ocean’s sur

Described as the most important green deal since the Paris Accords, 180 nations have taken key steps towards agreeing a legally binding...

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The Situation In recent years, brands such as H&M and Primark have advertised their clothing ranges made from recycled bottles. Brands...

Tyres are the second largest source of ocean microplastics, and new research has identified them as the source of a lethal toxin that’s...

Plastic-free and sustainable clothing are big news right now, and for good reason. People are starting to realise the implications of our...

Every plastic product we use is made of small 5mm plastic pellets (the size of a lentil) called nurdles, which are melted and moulded into all the plastic we see around us today. Nurdles are a type of microplastic that does not biodegrade. The 4-step Process Produced in factories around the world Transported to plastic manufacturing plants all across the globe Melted Moulded into different objects Spills and Spoils During their production, transportation, and manufacturing pr

Sachets are small, single-use sealed plastic pouches that contain one portion of a product. The developing world has seen an explosion of...