We have normalised plastic. We wrap food in it, we drink from it, it sits in every supply chain. Yet the numbers are astonishing. Production has jumped from two million tonnes in 1950 to four hundred and seventy five million tonnes today. Without intervention the world is on track to pass one point two billion tonnes by 2060. Almost all plastic begins as fossil carbon. This links plastic to climate at the root. And less than ten per cent is recycled. The rest accumulates in s

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

Sustainability means using resources that we can continue using in the long-term without causing irreversible harm to the environment. Our plastic use is clearly unsustainable. Traditional plastics are made from non-renewable fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas. Plastic released into the environment causes untold and irreversible harm to human health and ecosystems. The life cycle of plastic is also responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions . Is it possi

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