and focus public attention on a growing problem. I would say that their conclusions in 1973, you say, are still true. It needs improvement. 'This is an issue of vast scales. People can stop it. I mean, how big a problem do you think these kinds of dumping grounds are in Indonesia? Plastic Paradise: A Swingin' Trip Through America's Polynesian Obsession: Directed by Brett O'Bourke. Highly recommended.' One hundred and ninety-one containers being held right now. Tejal Rao is the California restaurant critic for The Times . Recyclers and the plastic makers couldn't agree on how to change the code. What do you think Americans need to know? The smell of burnt plastic was in the air, and all around, there were sacks of plastic, and big piles, too. The image of plastics among consumers is deteriorating at an alarmingly fast pace, it says. How do you get it to a place where 100% of this plastic getting recycledhow do you get there? The big problem is that it is all about money, profits. Much more education needs to happen on how to recycle. The whole idea about, "Oh, just sort better. Now what were doing here is were sorting it out into the milk jugs, the natural HDPE, the pigmented HDPE, PET water bottles. Idea for Use in the ClassroomHenderson Island in the South Pacific was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site in 1988. Here we are at our GDB South Brunswick facility. Were working with other organizations to get the word out. Sun offers a fresh, new voice for her generation and has made a film that can appeal to the masses, "Chilling filmjournalist Angela Sun offers valuable new insights. Americans need to know that your waste ended up here. Sun, Angela (film producer) In an underwater paradise, a plastic nightmare. We took a trek up to Wilmington and this one DuPont executive, he said, "I think if we had $5 million"which seemed like a lot of money then"if we had $5 million, we could solve this problem.". But there are growing concerns here that a lot of plastic waste is not being handled the right way, and Indonesian officials are trying to prevent what happened in China from happening here. Plastics in the ocean have been building up for decades. One of the sponsors was the American Chemistry Council. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. The company has not been charged with any wrongdoing related to dumping. How could they go into all of these communities and tell people "You just have to recycle" when they knew there were so many problems and so many hurdles? One recycling company here caught our attention. Are we damaging the environment more in the name of recycling?". We reached out to more than a dozen major plastic makers; the only one that would sit down with us was Chevron Phillips. Plastic Paradise is another documentary on the topic of plastic waste and our oceans. At the time, it was one of the few atolls in the world unspoiled by human activity. They're not going to be able to continue to drill that oil and gas and burn it for energy anymore because the climate can't sustain it, so this is their lifeline. You cannot download interactives. The recycling system that we have at the moment, its not really recycling because some part of it exportedbeing exported all over the world to be "recycled," but you never know whether its really being recycled overseas or not. Sun, Angela (film director) We can't delay this for another 10, 20, 30 years or we're going to be. Over the past year, weve been investigating the plastic crisis and found that many of the problems we face today were set in motion decades ago, by the very companies who make plastic in the first place. In 2015, a marine biologist came across a sea turtle in distress. The question that people are going to have is what are they supposed to do to make this better? For scrap. Sunil Bagaria is national chairman of the plastics division for ISRI, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. For the oil and gas industry, the stakes are higher, too, because single-use plastic is their Plan B. And few places have pursed recycling more aggressively than Oregon. Can we come in and look? How does this conflict compare to what you saw happen in the '80s and '90s when this last came up with this kind of fervor? Angela Sun reveals the effects of our rabid plastic consumption as she investigates The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. I was the front man for the plastics industry, no getting around it. childhood leukemia. Plastic Paradise: In Conclusion. Scientists hope the larvae of the darkling beetle nicknamed "superworms" might solve the world's trash crisis thanks to their uncanny ability to eat polystyrene. Oh, yes. Industry would only switch to a triangle, which recyclers said was too similar to the chasing arrows. Eighty plastic bags found inside the whale. Behind the lens, Angela directed and produced the award-winning feature documentary film "Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch" currently on the film festival circuit and set to release later this year. Flexible packaging has become part of our daily lives. It is, and it performs very well. Some, like Keurig, saw a need for better technology. Do you think that they took a lesson away from how to fight the bans? We need to increase the interest in and demand for recycled materials and more products made from recycled materials. plastic became the unrivaled material of choice for consumers. One of those companies is DuPont, and on the grounds of the first du Pont family home, I found the Hagley Library. But it's not economical to recycle it given the current economics of recycling. Were a not-for-profit. It says it's recyclable. They want to sell more plastic containers. 2023 Plastic Paradise. The table is set with polyethylene products, too. (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); It was a critical moment. As plastics break down through photodegradation, they leach out colorants and chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA), that have been linked to environmental and health problems. A lot of that waste is ending up in the ocean. It holds one of the worlds largest collections of industrial history. This is it. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. The big problem is that it is all about money, profits. The host takes a 2-year trip around the world to give us a better understanding of the life cycle of plastic It's . Considering the creation of plastic was used as a substitute for . Amazing work!' The start of construction on that multibillion-dollar plastics plant. The reality is, for all the ads and promises over the years, it's estimated that no more than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled. Plastic Paradise makes the issue of plastic pollution real and relevant. To the best of my knowledge there has been no life cycle analysis of plastic. What items were the least common? According to the filmmaker, plastic debris collects in this fashion because a combination of gyres (large systems of rotating ocean currents) serve as catchment basins, and debris that would. You guys have been around for a long time. Angela Sun provides an excellent model of how one curious person can use her talents to follow her interests, speak from the heart, and contribute to improving the world. Now here we are again in a crisis. It's margarine tubs, clamshells, deli containers. Lets make more single-use plastics"dont buy into that. Many U.S. cities are taking steps to ban plastic grocery bags. Then what? It has the recycling logo. Americas postwar boom presented endless opportunities for this new, durable, lightweight material. Plastics will never go away as long as the consumer demands it. There are a lot of different kinds of plastics that have to be sorted. Soto, Tanya Leal (film producer). Timothy Hoellein, Aquatic Ecologist, Assistant Professor of Biology, Loyola University'With fantastic archival footage, revealing modern images from the pacific and thoughtful, fact-based explanation, Plastic Paradise provides an educational, hip, and very entertaining look at some of the many ways plastic is affecting us all. When you get a bale of plastic, how much of that bale is plastic that the company wants and how much of it is stuff that is just plastic that youre not going to do anything with? ", And this document was candid: There is serious doubt widespread plastic recycling can ever be made viable on an economic basis.. Were they? Not a good idea for your wallet. Reveals the history and worldwide scope of plastics pollution, investigates its toxicity and explores solutions. This is our moment, California. JIM BECKER, VP, Sustainability, Chevron Phillips: Our view is you have to be very careful with that because sometimes the substitute products can have a bigger environmental impact than the thing you are banning. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. You could recycle this in a lab. Some were very skeptical but felt they had to do it. I think its a transitional moment. The voyage she completes can motivate students to discover more about pollution of all kinds on their own. The world is flooded with plastic garbage. There are various types of plastics, and that the cost of new plastic is so low that sorting and reprocessing used plastic cant be justified economically. Producers should disclose the environmental impacts of their materials publicly. At the bottom of all these plastic containers is this little chasing arrowthe little recycling symbol with a number. If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice . As packaging evolves. They are going to double down on single-use plastic like we have never seen, so we're heading towards a real battle. There's going to be more plastic than ever. We dont think that were being misleading because technically it is recyclable. At Plastic Paradise's conclusion, the viewer is left pondering that the amount of plastic in the world will increase by 400% by 2050. But the question really is, "How do I reduce?". Sun, Angela (film director) I guess I think of it more as an investment in managing plastic waste. Dr. Mike SanClements, Staff Scientist, The National Ecological Observatory Network, Affiliate Faculty, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado-Boulder'Sun's documentary sends a clear and coherent message about one of the major environmental problems we face today. I had no staff. Currently, we support online registration for anyone affiliated with a higher education institution. That code was a numbering system put inside the well-known symbol for recyclingthe chasing arrows. I watched the film with some of my students so I can attest that it appeals to the younger generation. Plastic Paradise is an excellent, accessible, and troubling documentary that reveals these issues. Dr. Sherri A. Mason, Professor of Chemistry, Environmental Sciences Program Coordinator, SUNY at Fredonia'We are all familiar with trash, but most of us likely are unaware of indestructible plastic trash that pollutes the oceans, contaminates our seafood, kills birds, fish, and marine mammals as well as carrying toxic substances into the environment and our bodies. Plastic Paradise "Sun offers a fresh, new voice for her generation and has made a film that can appeal to the masses" - Honolulu Pulse "Chilling film.journalist Angela Sun offers valuable new insights." --The Hollywood Reporter "Thoughtful new documentary by @sunnyangela examines the Great Pacific Garbage Patch How are those two things going to meet anywhere in the middle? LAURA LEEBRICK, Manager, Government Affairs, Rogue Disposal: What youre seeing happening right now isthats a full-sizethat's probably a 53-foot trailer. He told me he could take me to a place where the company had recently been dumping plastic. You can see from that corner to the end of that valley over there. Allaway is a leading authority on the environmental impacts of materials, like plastic. A good substitute is a Swap Meet. COY SMITH, Former board member, National Recycling Coalition: During that time, the plastics industry, they went around to states and they convinced those states to pass lawsand they did this very quietlythey passed laws that required that symbol with the number on it be put on plastic containers sold in that state. And then they said its from Harvest, they call it. Elizabeth A. Newell, Stephanie Hanus, Stevie Monteiro, Destiny Harbison, and James McTighe. A dead seal or sea lion? General Information . Bagaria had come to make sure his plastic was actually being recycled and turned into tiny pellets that are used to make new plastic products. Existing customers, please log in to view this film. At Hagley, we found a collection of internal plastic industry documents about this period of time when the industry was in the crosshairs of the environmental movement and plastics were under attack. So, we dont think banning these products is necessarily the right way to go. Last year, customs found that half the containers of plastic waste they inspected. Using the infographic and a world map, point out the pattern of ocean currents. In this independent documentary film, journalist/filmmaker Angela Sun travels on a personal journey of discovery to uncover this mysterious phenomenon. Angela SunProduced by Angela Sun, Gil Elbaz, Elyssa Elbaz, Tanya Leal SotoEditor: Wendy ShueyCinematography: Joseph Ochoa, Francisco Aliwalas, Mark BellaGraphics: Jonathan Jelkin. But even as Liesemer and his colleagues were publicly promoting recycling, privately, the industry had long expressed doubt it was ever going to happen on a broad scale. Dr. Mike SanClements, Staff Scientist, The National Ecological Observatory Network, Affiliate Faculty, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado-Boulder'Sun's documentary sends a clear and coherent message about one of the major environmental problems we face today. The film is excellent--in its timeliness, its depth, and its presentation. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen. Yeah, I mean, its bleeding already. bloated seabirds and littered waterways have fueled a global anti-plastic movement. Liesemer was sent to Minnesota on an urgent mission. By doing so, this film will inspire young people to act as global citizens and contribute to finding solutions for the major environmental problems of the coming century.' Big. Yes, it would. Industry wouldnt even consider, say, no triangle, or a circle, or. "Some firms used it as a green marketing tool." Highly recommended.' This film makes the case that the only solution is source control, and that consumers have a great deal of underutilized power.' I strongly recommend this film as an instructional tool to connect ecology, communication, and global service. Thats what it looks like when it comes in. It didnt make any sense. I highly recommend checking this film out!' Back then, one of the vice presidents at the Society of the Plastics Industry was Lew Freeman. Modern-day miracles that were made with the help of petrochemicals. Environmentalists have, too. It currently covers roughly 1.6 million square . One study estimates that 60% of ocean plastic comes from Asia. This is one of the easiest visualizations of how humans (not all, but many) have lost connection with the environment--a sad state of affairs--but the truth.' From polymers to nurdles, learn how plastic i. I think thats true. In small groups, explore the impact of ocean plastics on coral reef species by having students research the impact of ghost nets on sea turtles, the ingestion of plastic by Pacific seabirds, and the ingestion of plastic particles by coral polyps. Looking back, do you think putting the banner on the Mobro was a mistake? We're covered in plastic-based gear from head to toe. It said in an email that it had a comprehensive system to handle plastic waste and it follows all Indonesian laws and regulations. Called me a piece of trash and swore thats all Id ever be. "Greatly harming our oceans, and killing and injuring countless marine creatures and seabirds. Step into the world of man-made materials that take up where nature left off. The film's haunting message highlights the importance of society transitioning to the existing truly biodegradable polymers wherever possible and as soon as possible.' In this independent documentary film, journalist/filmmaker Angela Sun travels on a personal journey of discovery to uncover this mysterious phenomenon. Along the way she meets scientists, researchers, influencers, and volunteers who shed light on the effects of our rabid plastic consumption and learns the problem is more insidious than we could have ever imagined. MONIQUE OXENDER, Chief sustainability officer, Keurig Dr Pepper: I mean, youve got a couple hurdles, in the sense that youre going to have to have people sorting out tiny cups, right? What does Chevron Phillips want to see happen? It provides valuable information and presents that information in an engaging and visually gripping way.' Did you feel like they cared more about selling plastic than they did about making recycling work? No transcript available. All of a sudden, our own customers, they would bring it in and not only say it has the triangle, but it wouldthey would flat-out say, "It says its recyclable right on it." Because what it allows industry to do, is it allows industry to keep the conversation focused on recycling and never move the conversation on to the bigger issues, which are the full environmental impacts of all this stuff. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Plastic Paradise | Bullfrog Films: 1-800-543-3764: Environmental DVDs and Educational DVDs is a leading source of educational DVDs & videos, with a collection of over 700 titles in these main subject areas: Environment Globalization Sustainability Climate Change Social Justice Developing World Indigenous Peoples Earth Science Life Science The economics that are described there still prevail today and likely will prevail tomorrow. Stuck with plastics they couldnt sell, Smith and other recyclers met with representatives from the plastic industry. An endangered sea turtle? This is an American city, a real community of homes and homemakers like thousands of others across the nation. ", "Eye-opening insightPlastic Paradise provides an informative, timely and, relevant look at the consequences of plastic consumption", "A film that moves the grassroots and has the audience thinking twice, before grabbing a straw to go with a beverage.". It's time for change, and this is that time. If the oil industry is able to get 100% of the material recycled. When I came here in June, I asked them where did they get this from? Loaded with more than 3,000 tons of waste from New Yorks Long Island. It really became a metaphor of, "We are bumping up against limits here. ", Another said "there are no effective market mechanisms for mixed plastic. Were they misleading the public? Lead editor, Wendy Shuey; cinemtaography, Francisco Aliwalas [and 6 others]; music by APM Music [and 6 others]. 115 billion pounds. Microplastics are invading our water supply. It was also a boon for oil companies as they had an entirely new market to tap from 20 million pounds in 1927 to 650 million pounds by 1943. 'This is an issue of vast scales. ", "We must immediately undertake a major program of unprecedented proportions to reverse this fast-moving tidal wave of growing negative public perception.. It includes a good history of the genesis of the plastics industry from materials shortages during World War II, and demonstrates that things put in the environment (such as a message in a bottle) can stick around for a long time and move great distances. Recycle, bury, what to do with it? And now Im what I've always wanted to be. This package here is technically recyclable. This is plastic that has no home, so it's your clamshells, Ziploc bags, film, a CD, a food wrapper. As long as we didnt disclose his identity. National Geographic Magazine infographic by Jason Treat and Ryan T. Williams Powered by Background Info Vocabulary Idea for Use in the Classroom It's huge and very wide. That turtle video certainly did have an impact. Yeah, yeah. If you want to step up above, you can see the machine in action. You'll receive access to exclusive information and early alerts about our documentaries and investigations. After the community complained to the government about the burning, the dumping stopped here. I highly recommend checking this film out!' They would just take the low-hanging fruits. Construction will eventually employ 6,000 people. So plastic came to be used in many applications because it performed better. Film Review: Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. So this is how it looks like when they burn it. Thats how unrecyclable it was. Dr. Chelsea M. Rochman, Smith Fellow in Conservation Biology, Marine Ecologist/Ecotoxicologist, Aquatic Health Program, University of California Davis'Plastic Paradise offers new and sharpened perspectives on the problem of plastics in the environment. And yet its become ground zero for The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, syphoning plastics from three distant continents. But later we surely realized that there was always another aspect of what was going on in China. The Hollywood Reporter'The film everyone needs to see.' New Harvestindo eventually got back to us and denied it was responsible for doing anything that damaged the environment. Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Trailer Angela Sun 01:58 Description Reviews Credits Cataloging Thousands of miles away from civilization, Midway Atoll is in one of the most remote places on earth. When you look at plastic, you know how it helps things stay fresh and safe and light. Do you fundamentally think that in the United States recycling could ramp up to a capacity to handle the vast majority of plastic that's being produced? And the consumption and lifestyle that we have, I think itsyou have to rethink, because we have to reduce the amount of plastics that we produce at the moment. See it and share it with others!' ", "Thoughtful new documentary by @sunnyangela examines the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, @plasticdise plasticparadisemovie.com #ppgp2", "Offers some alarming information that might cause viewers to think twice, about buying one-time-use water bottles. Thousands of miles away from civilization, Midway Atoll is in one of the most remote places on earth. That wasnt the intent. [Speaking Indonesian] If its not useful, we put it into the community. ", We never asked the question, "Are they doing it the right way? What about all of these? There is no program in Oregon that wants this in the curbside mix. It`s a tiny particle created when larger plastic items, tooth brushes, bottles, bags, break down over decades. The Midwest Book Review'Intriguing..chilling filmJournalist Angela Sun offers valuable new insights.' We are the shipper of the scrap. Will Posegate is the chief operating officer of Garten. Dr. Kirk J. Havens, Director, Coastal Watersheds Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary'I believe that this film portrays the state of the plastic marine debris issue accurately. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Starring Angela Sun Wallace J. Nichols. Do you think that the company feels so strongly that it is willing to make less money?

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