Plastic Fantastic

Plastic is everywhere, not just in our rivers and oceans. It permeates the air, soil, and even our bodies. The problem is getting worse, and yet the plastics industry is increasing production.

Environmental lawyer Steven Feit reveals that plastics are the petroleum industry's growth strategy in the 21st century, even as the world moves away from fossil fuels as an energy source. Sarah Jeanne Royer, an oceanographer, shows the damage microplastics are doing to the coasts of Hawaii. Sharon Lavigne, a retired teacher, fights against pollution and environmental racism in her city, which is home to some of the largest plastic production facilities in the US. The film also follows a photojournalist raising awareness about the problems being caused by single-use plastics in his native Kenya, and lobbyists who aim to convince the industry's critics that new recycling technologies will make a difference. And one Hamburg-based chemist and inventor has suggestions for how we could solve the world's plastics problem once and for all.

Is the plastics industry listening? Can people trust it to take responsibility for plastic products after the end of their life cycle? And what solutions are there in a world that is increasingly choking on plastic?

Also known as (AKA): How the World is Choking on Plastic

(originally produced under the title Plastic Fantastic in 2023)