On World Earth Day, tomorrow, Discovery Channel will air THE STORY OF PLASTIC, a look at the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and the worldwide effect it has on the health of our planet and the people that inhabit it.
Spanning three continents, the film illustrates the ongoing catastrophe: fields full of garbage, veritable mountains of trash; rivers and seas clogged with waste; and skies choked with the poisonous emissions from plastic production and processing.
THE STORY OF PLASTIC features interviews with experts and activists on the frontlines of the fight, revealing the disastrous consequences of the flood of plastic smothering ecosystems and poisoning communities around the world – and the global movement rising up in response.
With engaging original animation, archival industry footage starting in the 1930s, and first-person accounts of the unfolding emergency, the film distils a complex problem that is increasingly affecting the planet’s and its residents’ well-being.
“I have been passionate about this issue for over ten years. The Story of Plastic’s film team has worked tirelessly to show us the truth of what plastic is doing to our planet – the whole planet,” explains co-executive producer and award-winning musician Jackson Browne.
THE STORY OF PLASTIC shines a light on the environmental damage and human rights abuses that occur throughout the entire life cycle of plastic – not just once it’s disposed of. The film reveals how the plastics industry is simultaneously blaming wasteful consumers for plastic pollution and aggressively investing to produce more single-use plastic than ever before. Reclaiming the narrative, the film highlights that while clean-up is important to understanding the situation, the real solution lies in stopping the mass production of plastic in the first place.
“The plastic crisis doesn't start when the plastics enter the ocean. It starts when the oil and the gas leave the wellhead, and it keeps on being a problem at every step along the way,” says film subject Carroll Muffett of Center for International Environmental Law.
- THE STORY OF PLASTIC premieres in the region tomorrow night at 10pm on Discovery Channel (OSN channel 500).
