This is why I INVEST in GReytone Logistics stock...They take WASTE PLASTIC and turn it into 100% Recycled Plastic PALLETS....perfect circular substitutive industry..No more WOODEN Pallets..save our TREES keep plastic out of our OCEANS and marine life
How can people not be aware? Most people are just selfish assholes! I hate to say it, but the only way this is going to change if there are laws passed. To start, we need to ban most "One Use" plastics such as coffee cups and non recyclable drink cups. Secondly, get realistic about recycling. Most town or city recycling programs here in the US are a joke! This should not have to be said that all this should have been implemented years ago!
It's corporations & the governments in their back pockets that are to blame. There is no profit without pollution. They're intrinsically linked. Humans are the solution..✌🏼
@@gurumac8992 We are to blame for voting in those politicians. And we are the solution as well. We ALL need to be active and stand up against the greed and corruption and vote out any politician who does not do our bidding.
One of the main issues in this instance is, as the man said, garbage is not collected. There needs to be garbage collected from houses, rivers cleaned, and a livable wage for everyone. These people live beside a river of filth because they can’t afford to move. The same can be said for almost every country. The few people who make the most money, don’t give a shit about the people who work themselves literally to death. Then they tax your burial, and estate. The time is now. Stop letting this happen. Strike. It is long overdue.
Plastic products need to be priced with a higher markup as a deposit insurance guaranteeing that most customers will choose to collect and return plastic items back to collection and not discard them disorderly. There has to be economical and social motivation for people to bring all plastics back for recycling.
DON KAZ I was thinking of the exact same thing, maybe even as expensive as a dollar per bottle. A normal person probably uses a couple dozen bottles per month, 24 dollars per month from returning plastic would definitely add some incentive.
This is how we do it with bottles in Finland: www.palpa.fi/beverage-container-recycling/deposit-refund-system/ It's not done the same way with plastic packaging for meat and vegetables, probably because they aren't demanded the same things legally as drink bottles. (0,5€ tax per liter unless they join a deposit system)
yes, negative externalities. I think they are working on it here in my country, France. The other key is biodegradable plastics and/or plastics that can be fully recycled. Polymers > monomers > polymers > ...
But most plastic isn't recycling friendly. It's a material that degrades with each recycle, making it only nominally 'worth' recycling because you can't turn it back into the same thing it was. You can't take plastic bottles and make the same plastic bottle like you can with say glass or metal. Eventually the material isn't usable anymore and it gets trashed anyway. We have to stop the problem at the source and stop using plastic or it will just keep piling up.
I have spent YEARS reducing plastic in my household. I have to make one change at a time and allow my husband and kids to adjust to that change before making the next change. They freak out and revolt when I try to go zero waste all at once. They seem to not even notice when I make one change at a time though. 1) I got rid of all commercial cleaning products and started cleaning my house with Norwex cloths or vinegar. No more cleaning supplies in plastic bottles. I had to reteach my kids how to clean. 2) I switched to washable feminine hygiene products like Charlie Banana pads and Thinx period panties. 3) I stopped buying liquid hand soap and started buying only bar soap in cardboard packaging. 4) I stopped buying bottles of shampoo and conditioner. I replaced them with shampoo bars by JR Liggetts. 5) I stopped buying all body sprays and perfumes. There are many more. That is just a start. It is a good start for anyone looking to transition to zero waste. Start small. Adjust. Then try eliminating another plastic.
Jo A I have bought a lot of things from Amazon. I got my bamboo toothbrushes and my bar shampoo from Amazon. My Charlie Banana washable pads came directly from the Charlie Banana website and my Thinx period panties came from shethinx.com. I have a store near here called Natural Grocers. I get some of my supplies from them as well. I found package free bar soap there. I buy Patch bandaids from Amazon.
Also, I bought a Hydro Flask to use at work. I fill it with ice water and it sits on my desk all day. It stays very cold, which is awesome! I bought it directly from Hydro Flask. They have a website, but I don’t know it off the top of my head. If you Google it, it pops up though. That is how I found them.
Jo A I have the same problem; the kids adapt fairly well, but the husband is harder to convince! As long as I give him time to adjust to changes, he seems to eventually adapt. Once he accepts it, I move onto the next thing. It is much easier for one person to go zero waste than an entire family. It can be done though! By the time we figure it out, the kids will be moved out and it will just be me and the hubby. Hopefully my kids take these zero waste changes with them as they head to college and work as adults.
Naomi May - Sustainable Prepper, it’s commendable that you attempt a low waste lifestyle, as many of us do, but there is a practical limit somewhere this side of zero. Even microfibre cleaning cloths and reusable hygiene products have a useful lifespan and will need to be discarded eventually...and I absolutely dread the day someone comes up with reusable toilet paper. As for cleaning with vinegar, well, it’s one chemical or another, and in my neighbourhood vinegar in large quantities comes only in plastic jugs. Also, to many, it’s repulsive smelling except on fish and chips. It’s also part of the reason that many bars and pubs use it at closing time to wipe down the tables - not because they’re being environmentally conscientious but because the smell makes people leave (this from a longtime friend and restauranteur/bartender). You didn’t mention plastic bags, perhaps the biggest “plastics” issue we face today, but the fact is we are now paying for the foolishness of a handful of narcissistic one-issue-wonders form 40 years ago (known at the time as ‘tree huggers’) who decided that plastic would be a better choice than paper, even though paper was fully and easily biodegradable, recyclable, reusable and sustainable through reforestation, while plastics now serve only as whale fodder. Anyway, governments, to remain popular, caved in to their uneducated demands and here we are now. Hopefully we’ll do better this time.
Ray Ray I have found a solution to the vinegar and plastic bottles thing. I actually started fermenting my own apple cider vinegar. I buy apples from the bulk bins, chop them up, put them in a jar with sugar and let them ferment for a couple months. It is a zero Waste way to do vinegar. I can clean the house with it. I have not figured out how to replace the white vinegar I use in my loads of laundry though. I guess I forgot to mention shopping bags. I use tote bags that are made of cloth or canvas. I have been using the same bags a long time now and they haven’t worn out yet. It really is a tragedy that single use plastics came about!!! I actually didn’t find out that microfiber was actually plastic until I already owned the Norwex cloths. I still use them because I don’t want to dump them in a landfill. It just seems more sustainable to use them until they wear out.
You all watch this, and say things, but are you making changes? It's not hard and it's not impossible. These single use items will outlive you- you don't need them for a one time craving. Bring your own stuff!!!!
I'm trying. I switched from buying 10 soda water bottles every week to getting a glass bottle soda stream. Australia has banned the single use plastic bag and Hobart has banned single use plastic cups, straws and coffee lids etc. Its a Step in the right direction. I'm very new to this so any suggestions would be great.
@@MyMEGAamazinglife1 My tip is to look at your garbage, and see what things there are that you buy constantly. Think if you could replace those things with something without plastic. I noticed that I ate a lot of bread and sandwitches in plastic. Now I try to buy bread from the "baked here today" parts of stores and bakeries with my own reusable produce bags. (And if you can't visit a bakery, for example, every time, you can buy more at once and freeze it. Freezing fresh bread keeps it fresh.)
Kevin George true..there is this material that resembles and acts as plastic, but it disintegrates and it us safe to eat by animals, I believe is made with algae...
@@Kgeorge86 I have done low waste for a few years now and in these situations, you look for the best option. I love having mixed berries in my morning smoothies and so I buy them frozen in a plastic bag. In Australia there's a system where this type of plastic is recyclable and I use the minimal amount of berries to make the bag go further
its not so easy as simply recycling. less than 10 percent of ALL plastic ever made has ever been recycled. Nowadays everything is wrapped in film and packages are just as bad if not worse than things like water bottles. Like how do you reuse that yk its impossible. The conversation needs to be about what plastic producers need to do, not continue with the propaganda that the responsibility relies on the consumer.
This documentary is truly amazing , raising awareness of what is happening to our oceans is so important and you have done such a good job , I go to sennen cove at least twice a year and recently I’ve picked up 2 whole bags of plastic and waste , it breaks my heart to see what we’re doing to such important places
I was really shocked at Sennen too. The plastic pollution seems to be getting worse and it looks to have all been washed up from other places and being trapped there. It's a real shame as it's such a beautiful part of the world.
The people highlighted living with the stench of plastic don't own any plastic manufacturing factories or plants. They don't own hydrocarbon energy companies or rubber tree plantations. But here they are being subliminally blamed for plastic pollution. Shame on the billionaire owners of plastic manufacture and plastic whole sale and retail companies for projecting their activities on poor people. Shame on you corporate owners of the plastic industry.
@@jamesroberts941 would a global deposit be possible? States like Michigan have deposit laws that see a recycling rate above 90%, more if the deposit were increased.. (the rate of recycling has dropped in recent years due to the deposit not keeping up with inflation) It helps lake Michigan, but there's still a lot of plastic getting into the lake. It seems like a global issue that requires a response from all nations.
Manufacturers' need to be held to account. Personal responsibility to dispose of plastic waste products will only reduce the problem so far (it sits in huge piles in re-cycling depot and then ends up in landfill). Manufacturers' NEED to come up with better alternatives. An amazing man in Japan made hotel soap packets that were totally biodegradable from sustainable seaweed harvesting. Genius. Great video. Well done. Accountability from manufacturers!
It is devastating to see the reality and scale of this issue and just how much people in other areas are affecting by it. However, it's also wonderful to see how much you care about the worldwide plastic crisis and this video has been made really well. Like yourself, 8 months ago I had enough with plastic pollution and so I started an NGO called Pure Clean Earth and now focus every day fighting this same battle. I hope that more and more people become aware and decide to raise their voices, put pressure on the governments to act faster, and that schools worldwide begin to put nature at the core of how we learn, live, and act. We certainly do not have enough time to be making small changes 5-10 years down the line. I hope that this video makes a huge impact and encourages thousands of people more, to call for change.
This is SO well made. The fact that waves are now spewing out plastic worldwide on coasts and we're still not doing anything about plastic shows exactly how self-destructive and oblivious we are. Disgusting. Thank you for this.
Great documentary. It's scary when i think about issues like this. It's time for the world to start to pay serious attention to issues of the environment.
In all these excellent documentaries I've never heard anyone talk about growing hemp to make biodegradable plastic. Hemp can also replace cotton and be used to make hempcrete. Imagine a plastic bag that you can throw away in a compost heap that will turn into soil. It seems like a no brainer. Does anyone agree with me? Budah of Birmingham
The property that is most useful about plastic is its ability to completely keep out moisture from whatever you are carrying in the plastic. Also it keeps the moisture from escaping for example with produce bags, keeping vegetables fresher longer. I hope that hemp products will be able to do that so that plastic can be replaced. However, some of the bioplastics I have encountered so far seem to fall short in this regard.
Ana But does the cassava work as well as regular plastic? Can it really prevent water from getting inside the bag like plastic? I doubt it unfortunately.
It makes more sense to stop making toxic plastics that rely on nasty materials such as oil/coal that harm the earth and people to make, not to mention the harm to us and animals dealing with the left overs! Not to mention the ugliness and filth!!
@@UncleJ2058 Plastic also is not perfect ; there are small holes. Liquids should be stored in glass or other reuseable ( man must carry the container to have it filled up) better yet containers!
This plastic documentary is so wonderful and realistic that anyone can learn about the implications of even one bottle of plastic. When I learn about the pollution, it truly crushes my heart. But I have optimism if educational institutions step forward and distribute this film with students because it is the most effective way to raise awareness.
Thank you James for making this very powerful & very much needed documentary on WORLD WIDE PLASTIC POLLUTION. I will absolutely make sure that I will do my part to clean all the body's of water that include streams, creeks, rivers, oceans & to clean up plastic pollution on not only our bodies of water in the world ,but all the land masses in the world. I pray that this documentary sends out the message of LOVE for our wonderful & blessed Planet that we call Earth & to be Stuarts for this awesome planet that was gifted to us to look after for all present generations & future generations. Let us all work together to make a difference to make this planet Earth which is called our BEAUTIFUL HOME.
Sad to see how people reject all responsibility. Basically we trash, and the government should do something about it. As if we're just pets messing around and it's our owner's job to clean the mess behind us. That said, this is an outstanding documentary. People need to be aware of that. I don't understand how this barely talked about by the media. It should make front page every day.
The people highlighted living with the stench of plastic don't own any plastic manufacturing factories or plants. They don't own hydrocarbon energy companies or rubber tree plantations. But here they are being subliminally blamed for plastic pollution. Shame on the billionaire owners of plastic manufacture and plastic whole sale and retail companies for projecting their activities on poor people. Shame on you corporate owners of the plastic industry.
@@dtriniboss First of all I'm not a corporate owner of a plastic industry. But I still started this project where we go on river banks and pick up the trash to help the local fauna and eventually for it not to make it's way to the ocean (we do that on the Saint-Lawrence river in Canada, which is directly connected to the Atlantic ocean). We do that because we're plastic users. Of course the big companies have their responsibility too, but if we reject the fact that we all have free will and can decide either to use plastic or not, to trash plastic or to clean the environment from plastic. It's not always the billionaire's fault. We have power. If you don't recognize it, it's just a matter of time before you do. When the crowd of people taking their responsibility gets big enough, you will join it, because it will seem like the obvious thing to do. In the meantime, there will always be people like us taking responsibility for others in order to lead the way for others.
@@fl260 You started wrong. Go film the plastic industry's mining facilities and factories that make and sell these plastics. Interview their owners about why they ruin the world to make themselves rich. Make them culpable such that they spend they riches cleaning up their mess. Public choice is limited to corporate and government access to alternatives. Global monopolies, government imposed subsidies, tariffs, greed for instant perpetual wealth circumvent public access to better more environmentally materials. So blaming the public is farce.
@@dtriniboss If no one uses plastic, they would stop making it. Since we started taking our responsibilities, we became obsessed by not using plastic whenever possible. If fact we're slowly re-arranging our life towards this way of living. I mean you can keep writing paragraphs on how I'm wrong to take my responsibilities and how you're right not to take yours, but that won't change my mind. Sorry. Edit: By the way it's always the person doing something about it who's in the wrong. People who do nothing seem to always have all the answers. This is a clear pattern.
@@fl260 If plastic makers had to fund cleanup of their plastic waste. would they continue indiscriminately making it, devoid of who or what it affected or killed? Making plastics ought to affect the bottom line of its miners and manufacturers, which to them (to you) is making a profit at the expense of everyone and everything else in the world. Now the proverbial shit is blowing back having hit the fan, plastics makers think they can escape financial responsibility by propagandising blame on the rest of the world. Oh, the rest of the world caused this. The rest of the world must fund its cleanup. Liars.
Doesn't help when litter picks use more single use gloves and bags for the collection either. Wonder if government is able to help provide biodegradable bags and the helpers wash and reuse gloves?
Thank you for this precious film. Tears are coming when I see, what the humans are doing to this wonderful world and the suffering it means for all the beautiful, precious living creatures all over the planet. Not only the people are suffering, even more the animals which are not at all responsible for all the rubbish, and they have no alternative to get it into her bodies and suffer and die or see her children's dying. I really hope we humans find a way and become responsible and aware creatures! And I hope they stop killing the rainforest!!! The humanity is not aware of what it is doing.
A short bittersweet documentary. Well done and presented. We need more like this to educate people, instead of these half-hearted "let's try to shock people with one documentary in order to make it look like we care" things we get from the mainstream media
Very down to earth dude, it's great that James is pushing hard to make a difference. Too much plastic non recyclable plastics is real. It's caused by the need for more and more disposable non renewable plastics, the most overpopulated countries have the most plastics in dumps, pits and in rivers, lakes and oceans. The major element contributing to this world catastrophe is overpopulation.
Excellent documentary 🤙 hopefully opening peoples eyes to the enormity of the problem. Devastating to see how much plastic is entering our precious oceans, but great to see some hope. Keep up the fight against plastic you amazing human! 💪🤙🙏🏄🏼♂️
4:26 sums up what we are doing to our planet. We're not only ruining our own health as a species but killing other living creatures in the process. it's heartbreaking.
Perhaps we need "plastics solutions fairs" where local companies can showcase their plastic free products - and give bigger companies a chance to offer what they are doing. This is a market solution that offers a positive opportunity for people and would empower people with hopeful outlooks, and make people feel that they have the power to choose non-plastic options.
Thank you for creating this! The more people learn the more likely they’ll change. It’s super motivating to change my own lifestyle after seeing the actual damage. I knew it was bad and try to use reusable bags but after seeing this I know I need to do more! There’s plastic on so many things, here’s to finding a more eco friendly lifestyle!
There's a school student making a machine/device that will collect the plastic and trash in the sea. He was concerned with the great ocean whirlpool dump in the pacific.
baltimore has Mr Garbage.. a floating water wheel thingamajig that grabs floating plastics from harbor... Mr Garbage is a local celebrity.... unlike our mayors..he does a honest days work!
This really saddens me. I am teaching a novel that is dealing with many issues, but one of them is this issue of plastic and its effect on the environment. My learners are starting to see the impact of waste on the environment. Glad I found this. Will be bringing it into the classroom as a resource.
I’ve always recycle and try to be conscientious about my families waste. The main problem I have is grocery shopping for my family. It’s almost impossible to buy certain food especially meats that are not wrapped in some form of plastic. I have to feed my kids and I really hope in the future they offer a type of packaging for foods in our cities grocery stores that isn’t plastic.
The roots of most problems humans are facing today (climate change, resource depletion, pollution, corruption, poverty, hunger, conflict, war, …) are overpopulation, greed, and a throwaway culture. - The bigger our population, the more resources we consume and the more waste we produce. More consumption means faster resource depletion as resources on Earth are finite, recycling is never 100%, and consumption is faster than recycling. More waste means more pollution and climate change. - Greed leads all those problems, directly or indirectly. - The throwaway culture leads to resource depletion and pollution. To tackle these root problems, we need to - Limit and reduce our population: stop having more children, consider adopting orphans instead - Control our greed: greed is an intrinsic characteristic of any living creature (greed for food, for shelter, for territory, for mate, … => greed to survive). Greed never goes away. We can only be aware of it and control it. When we care more about the environment and others, our greed will decrease. - Stop throwing things away: apply 5R (refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot) as much as we can Personally, these are things I've been doing - Decide not to have any more children - Control my greed - Is it selfish? - Is it too much? - Is it vanity? - Apply 5R - Always bring a reusable bag and water bottle when going out - Think more before buying; try to buy only things I need, not things I want - Avoid tissues or split tissues to save paper - Avoid wet wipes - Use shower instead of bath tub - Glue my shoes - Clean up the beach - … - Go vegan - Share what I do All changes start individually. When enough people change, the system will change.
I am 62 years old, and growing up we had no supermarkets but local "corner" shops. You took a canvas bag to the shop and if you wanted potatoes for instance they weighed them and tipped them into your bag. Boiled ham, corned beef, and cheese were all sliced on a hand slicer and wrapped in grease proof paper. Milk was delivered by milkmen in reusable bottles.Glass pop and beer bottles had a deposit charge so it was in your interest to return them. You go to a supermarket today and most fruit and veg comes in bags. 6 cans of drink comes wrapped in plastic. You go on holiday and you can have your suitcase wrapped in cling film! Why! its in a case. I have just purchased a new bed and the plastic sheet that wrapped it all in was unbelievable. I know it is needed to keep the product clean during transit but it has to go somewhere. We need to say to manufactures when you make something what happens when it wears out or is no longer needed? How is it deposed of. If you can`t give that guarantee then they can`t go ahead. You live in a lovely part of the UK so this is on your doorstep. I live in the midlands and visit only on holiday. In saying that I remember in 1982 Me and some mates visited Malta. We went on a tour of the island. This involved lunch on board the boat. However, shortly after lunch we set off on our tour, we were leaning over the side of the boat enjoying seeing the fish in the beautiful clear blue water. Suddenly a door opened and all our plastic cups plates knifes and forks were swept overboard into the sea. We need to sort it now or the disaster movies about global issues we enjoy will be real. I will be dead and gone when things get really bad but I have children who have children and I fear for them. For the sake of mankind lets sort it. Thanks for your time in making this video. All the best for your future. ;-)
In the 70's I came to california for the 1st time and in the morning i woke early to gather shalls. From a distance i could see a tide line of chips of various colors in long strain out lines piled about 3's high. It was all packing bits like squiggles and those bowl shaped chips about an inch in diameter. I was amazed and disappointed i wasn't the only one. They passed laws to limit the usage of syrophome for packaging at all food eateries. During the 80's and 90's there was a dramatic improvement way more seaweed and shells stillthe beach tar however. I think the laws have gone by the way side and the usage of plastic has dramatically increased since the 70's. move to change.
Thanks for making this documentary! We need many more. I'm sailing slowly around the world in my small boat and getting more and more concerned the further I go. Plastic everywhere.. I would really like to help in some way too.
Sailing Learning By Doing we dont need any more documentation, we need real people taking real actions - seeking out plastic manufacturers and stopping them of producing more of plastics
This documentary shows us the consequences of plastic. It is sad to see so much plastic in the ocean and in other developing countries such as India. A big part of the problem is single use plastic. The film stated how we are all directly or indirectly responsible for the plastic in the ocean. We rely too much in single use plastics and confuse plastic as disposable. We need to work the plastic into the economy to have it recycled or disposed of properly. I would like to see more communities take initiative and organize cleaning parties to clean up our environment.
It's really a great & informative video to spread the awareness of the plastic crisis that we are facing now and in the future. I am in the mean of spreading the consequences of continued usage of plastic. Plastic Islands are forming in the oceans and some are as big as countries. Birds are marine lives suffering in the frontier for our irresponsible actions. And this condition will soon come to us in the near future should we not to take proactive action NOW. I have made the first video (informative but not too serious) on plastic waste (within 1.5 mins) to reach out to more people that ONLY have very short and little time (on the bus, train, queue while waiting for somebody or something) to raise the awareness and not letting them losing their patience. Some of the footage within are very attractive and informative. Do you think if I can use some of this footage for my next video on plastic awareness part 2?
It is already making its way into humans via micro-plastics. Microscopic analysis of samples of clams and oysters destined for peoples' meal tables have turned up bits of microplastics in the flesh of these sea creatures... Karma..
AMAZING! Please lovely people share this. This is the content we need. we all have to learn and educate ourselves about this issue. Say no to plastic! Go out in the world and just try to live plastc free. Dont go out and buy tonns of clothes who dont fill your emptiness. Our nature is more important. Its where we belong. No nature. No humans. Do we wanna see our children and loved ones die at age 50 because theres nothing left but trash? Please open your eyes. Lets work against it lets educate our friends and family!!! The more we talk about the more it gets a trend
Oil and gas companies have to be held accountable because they’ve created this mess. There are only so many beach clean ups we can do. It has to be fixed at the source. If they cannot be stopped, they need to be TAXED. All of their junk should be sent right back to them to deal with. It is frightening that we are reaching a tipping point globally. We NEED more biodegradable and compostable materials urgently.
I don’t understand why more companies don’t use aluminum cans, aluminum will break down much faster and is very efficient to recycle. Also, I don’t know of any animals with stomachs full of aluminum. If aluminum enters the ocean, it will sink and break down quickly at the bottom of the ocean.
Bennamon Cinnamon In reality, aluminum isn‘t being recycled as much as we‘d like it to. When it is being recycled, they use 50% of the old material and 50% of new one. Also, in production, it is very harmful to the planet, because the byproduct of 1 tonne of aluminum are 3 tonned of acid slime.
You did a great job...dude..♥️ I live in India.. Mumbai.. I really want my Mumbai my maharashtra, my india,my Asia, my world/our world.. To be clean.. Just like those Maldives.. Every single rive lake seas oceans must be just like those clean out there
Then we must do our best. Please dont use plastic straws, bottles, cups and cutlery. Thats the least we can do. I am trying my bit and you should do too, along with that educate people around you.
I have been really impressed by what I have seen done by the Paani Foundation. People can be so much richer in health and spirit if the system in which they live is changed.
I make sure I use a reusable water bottle everyday and fill it up before I go somewhere or I fill it up at drinking fountain so that I don't have to buy a plastic water bottle. I encourage others to do the same. I have cotton bags and I bought a 4ocean bracelet. I really dislike single use plastics. Everyone should change take action if they can. It's not too hard. Spread the word!
25 years ago, i have seen a reportage. They were questionning why so many kind of container for water, detergent and so on. Would it be simple to have the same kind of container and re-use it again ... without trowing them for recycle process or worst waste.
This was made almost 2 years ago and I have just now heard about this, it’s so sad to see have much there was 2 years ago and how much more there is now. Please do what you can to send the least you can to landfills and keep our oceans clean.
This documentary is outstanding !!! Its sad that these type of videos dont go viral ,but yet idiotic videos do! We must spread the word about this video so people can finally open their eyes about what we are doing to our planet
i think it's the tip of the iceberg; the pile of shit is so deep. did you see how the presenter in India was only focusing on the plastic in that filthy river? people need to drink and wash, that river was socially offensive. when does that get cleaned up?
if you want to help and don’t know how, try buying a bracelet from 4ocean. they are hand assembled and made from glass, plastic and other harmful materials that workers found in the ocean. they also remove one pound of trash from the ocean for every bracelet bought!! i have 3 already and they are super comfortable and waterproof. please help make difference
Excellent information ...I had no idea it was this bad! I consider myself awake..but now after watching this I'm more awake than I was...I am a conscious shopper, eater ( vegan) and I try to do the 4'r's. I still think that industry could do much more. But at the end of the day..It's us, the Consumer.
The first step is self accountability and minute 10:00 is a perfect example of that....sad. Nobody views things as their problem and instead waits around for others to take action. It's everybody's problem.
a very educational film and we love it. Hopefully many people will be more aware of the importance of processing plastic waste in order to save our beloved earth#banksampahmajubahagia
Review This documentary made by James Roberts is about the plastic pollution in our ocean especially in India which is responsible for about 60% of plastic waste in the ocean. One of the parts that really stuck out to me is when James visits Sarah Nelms a marine biologist and she talks about microplastics. She shows us micro plastic under a microscope and explains how plastic takes hundreds of years to break down completely and it becomes microscopic with wear. She says that she found micro plastic in seal poop and that scientists don’t know exactly how this affects the animal’s body. The main part of the documentary is when James takes a trip to India and discovers that in some places trash collectors don’t come, so the people there throw their trash in a river that leads to the ocean. He is appalled and saddened by this and talks to a local who says that the blame really falls on India’s government. James also meets up with a man determined to clean the beach and he states how hard this is when trash is constantly being washed back on shore. Throughout the documentary the message is clear that plastic is changing our world for the worst and that it should not be treated as disposable.
James, it was a very nice documentary and I vow not to use single-use plastic anymore. You mentioned being in Mumbai that you might be picking up plastic on British beaches from India. Until just 74 years ago, Brits picked up so much from India that fills your major museums, many family riches and beyond that... now you plummeted to plastic..(take it as a sarcastic reality..😂)
@James Roberts : thankyou for this beautiful (sorry), documentary. Our planet has become an ugly place due to humans just trashing it basically. (in more ways than just PLASSSSTIC).... It sadden me as to what we are doing to our planet. sure, i bought a Gaterade drink, but did you know, I used that same bottle for 3 years just refilling it with water...... Greetz from Australia. Mick
I wouldn't advise using the same Gatorade bottle because if you refill the same single use bottle, some of the plastic seeps into the water and then you drink it. I would advise getting a metal flask.
if everyone think and work together, it’s will be wonderful, but it’s sad to think some people just don’t care!!! after watching this! I will change my way
The family couldn't even think about how to dispose of plastic because they were living day by day trying to focus on how to survive themselves. When you live in those kinds of conditions, there's no capacity to even think about environmental sustainability. In developed countries, we have the privilege to worry about these kinds of issues and we should set an example for the world instead of shaming developing societies for not doing the same. They'll eventually get there but it'll take time.
ATTENTION PLEASE !! some ways to reduce usage of plastic (PLEASE READ , it might save our world) 1. DO NOT use single-use plastic 2. Use bar soap to wash your dishes and also try to use bar facewash and shampoo (if available) 3. buy from a local farmers shop , and bring you own reusable containers 4. or just bring your own cloth bag whenever you go shopping 5. say NO to plastic cutlery , instead carry your own wooden or steel cutlery in a small pouch. 6.Give up chewing gum. 7. Bring your own coffee mug and bottle if you forget just ask for a paper one instead of plastic 8. Choose natural clothing fibers (cotton) over synthetic. 9. use menstrual cups , biodegradable pads , period proof underwear , reusable pads 10. Compost food waste to reduce kitchen trash bags. 11. Purchase a bamboo toothbrush or one made out of recycled plastic. 12. buy a stainless steel razor and metal straw 13. Buy second hand products 14. Know how much waste you produce and try to rethink the things you do normally to reduce plastic 15. Educate people and spread awareness . Make people realize that we are the ones destroying our earth without even knowing . MANY SMALL STEPS BY AN INDIVIDUAL WILL RESULT IN SOMETHING HUGE. SAVE EARTH!
Imagine - if you opened your front door to go to work or shopping or whatever - tomorrow morning - and you couldn't walk there because you were up to your ankles in GARBAGE - AND - it went on as far as your eyes could see. I started watching this film about an hour ago - and I've only seen 14 minutes - I have to keep stopping it - I'M TOTALLY FREAKED OUT - I can't stop crying. The first ALARM came as I saw the little albatross chick - his stomach full of plastic bottle caps and LIGHTERS! - he had died because he had starved to DEATH because there was nowhere in his stomach for FOOD to go. A few more minutes and we're in Mumbai - the river is so FULL of plastic you can barely see the water. I break down again. As I watch, I realize I have to send this to EVERYONE I know. We HAVE to let everybody KNOW - that's the problem - people just don't REALLY KNOW! It's worse than anybody realizes. What these kids in CORNWALLL are doing is really encouraging. It's our sweet children that will bear the burden of all this. Let's hope and pray it's not too late.
I am school for Environmental Sustainability and Engineering... I've seen these beaches and the madness of our own makings (and consumerism) that drive them to death....it's marvelous that so many are out there cleaning these beaches... But the question still remains... Where does the plastic go? Back to the recycling centers and trash..... And right back to the beaches... We have a say in how much plastic is produced. It's not an overnight fix. Nothing sustainable ever has been. But if we don't start banning plastics from our shopping ventures, why should anyone stop producing it? There are nearly 9billion of us on this planet already. If everyone claim that one person can't make a difference... We'll be extinct in 30 yrs or less. If everyone says that one person can create change... That's 18 billion hands. That's a big difference. But if nothing changes - - nothing changes.
Truly horrific scenes playing out all over our planet. Plastic is now in the flesh of seafood we consume. We should have addressed this 20 years ago. With each passing year the issues grows by roughly 25% over the previous year. We can employ the poor in developing nation's to make nets with natural fibers. These nets can be used to carry paper bags which would otherwise rip during our commutes. Nets have the advantage of drying out faster than canvas bags. Reusable canvas bags are great. However, many still refuse to adapt. Which completely astounds me. Many complain they soil easily. Well so do the clothes we wear. Like our clothes, they can be thrown in the wash. I wash mine with the kitchen towels. All of the excuses spewed out by those opposed to reusable bags, are getting old and without merit. Cities that have banned plastic bags have not suffered in any way. We're now able to make all sorts of packaging out of natural fibers other than wood. Producing bags and food containers no longer requires us to cut down carbon sequestering, oxygen producing, Earth cooling trees, rain producing, and erosion controlling trees. Palm plantation owners are now harvesting and selling palm leaves to make compostable plates, bowls, and platters. These plantations used to hire people to collect and burn the palm leaves. Now they're making money off what was once an expensive and environmentally damaging practice. The days of utilizing cheap chemicals to mass produce items like styrofoam plates and cups must end. We have the technology and resources to find new ways of utilizing what is considered waste. With China boycotting our recycling, we should be building local facilities to recycle our domestic items. Instead, most of the items we recycle are ending up in landfills simply to save a few bucks. It is up to us to call on our leaders to pressure the government to act. We had it easy when China was buying our waste. During this time all of the money made from selling recyclables should have been invested in domestic recycling facilities. All forms of plastic and foam is recyclable despite what we're told. Plastics which are not safe for use as food containers can be made into hundreds of other items such as insulation, decking, fencing, benches, street pavers, roofing tiles, and siding to name a few. Instead roughly 20% of the plastics we consume is not considered recyclable. As a result those plastics go into our landfills or is incinerated. On top of that 20%, most of the plastics we put out for recycling was and is not being recycled because we don't have a national standard for processing our recycling. All items must be free of contamination. Meaning all of the glass, plastics, and metal must be clean. All paper products must also be free of organic debris. Keep paper and other recycling separate until you put it in the bin. This will keep the paper products from getting wet while the cleaned items dry. Soiled and wet paper items go in the composting bin. Almost 90% of the items we recycle go-to the landfill because they're dirty or have the caps still on them. Caps are made of different and hard to recycle plastic. Those sorting at recycling facilities don't remove caps. They throw the item away. Even if we cleared the oceans of all the visable plastics today, we'd still have micro plastics in our food for the next 100 plus years. Plastics still have a place in our lives. We simply need to treat them like a prescious commodity and toxic waste. Adding a special tax and refundable deposits to all plastic beverage and food containers will ensure those items are mostly recovered. The tax will be used to pay for recycling those items back to into nurdles for reuse. Charging a tax of a dollar or more for each single use bag at super markets, restaurants, clothing stores, or any other retails will cut down dramatically on their use. The funds collected can be used for projects removing plastic waste from beaches or bodies of water, the construction of new recycling facilities, and eduction programs regarding toxic plastic pollution plaguing our planet. As well as implementing new recycling programs aimed at the collection of all traditionally non-recyclable plastics which can be turned into roofing tiles for poorer communities via tax incentive schemes. Old toys, foam containers, vehicle bumpers, rubberized plastics, cellophane, shrink wrap, tarps, and all other bits of plastic not currently recycled, because of their composition, can be made into all sorts of every day items. Most of us spare no expense when it comes to the health of our families. Our connection to the environment affects our health. Let's rewrite our own future by cutting ties with our ignorance and indifference to the catastrophic damage cause by our overuse and wreckless disposal of plastics. We've caused more harm to our planet in just the last fifty years than ever in the history of mankind combined. Plastic pollution is in the air, the water, and now in our food. The first step is education and the collection of plastics in developing countries. Those in developing countries don't know or realize the impact they're having as a result of dumping plastics in the rivers and seas. They don't realize the plastic won't decompose or sink. Many see tarps and other thin plastics deteriorating in the sun. They honestly believe plastic will decompose into organic compounds. They don't realize the plastic is simply breaking apart, not decomposing. It requires government investment to educate and collect the plastics from it's people. Watching men, women, and children dump trash into the river is heart wrenching. If only they knew the impact of their actions, they'd likely stop. The only way they can stop is if they have somewhere to put it, it was collected, or if they were refunded deposits paid for the plastic items. Communities without access to clean water and a sewage system are not thinking about the adverse affect of dumping plastics into the river. They're merely just trying to survive. A government which can't provide potable water or sewage systems, does not have the resources to cope with plastics. In such instances, no single use plastics should be introduced or permitted. In Western countries we clean our plastic before placing it curbside for collection. We can't expect those in areas without enough drinking water to clean their plastics for reuse or recycling. If they could wash their plastics they could stuff their walls with bags or shredded tarps to insulate against the heat and cold. Bags can be woven into mats used for sleeping, new reusable strong bags, etc, etc... These mats are used under reed mats to keep the moisture wicking through causing premature decomposing. They can be used as an insulating air and noise gap under the corrugated roofing. Single use bags do not need to be single use. Those in developing countries need education to see all of the ways they can reuse this valuable commodity. Making and selling reed mats insulated with woven plastic bags would provide added income. Where water is available, they can wash and melt down most forms of plastic and foam and mix with sand or sawdust to create roofing tiles, bricks, wall panels, fencing, decking, floor tiles, paving tiles.... The list of uses other than food safe plastic items is nearly limitless. Advancements in decomposing plant based plastics is going to help. However the key to ending our addiction to everything plastic is utilizing wasted plant material to make sustainable products to replace the plastics. Plastics will always be a part of the modern world. I don't deny or even pretend otherwise. The fact is we haven't been living sustainably for the last 250 years. I struggle to understand why we, the richest nation, are still burning coal today just to produce electricity. Why is it not code to make solar mandatory for all new construction or roof replacements? Why are vertical wind turbines not built into each new home? Why are homes built so poorly they're leaking air dirty electricity was used to condition? Lastly, I do realize some of the synthetic materials in our oceans was deposited accidentally or as a result of storms ripping communities apart and sinking vessels. Shipping containers should be watertight with GPS locators. Shippers and insurers must be tasked with retrieving these containers when a ship sinks or they fall off during storms. Aside from floods or tsunamis, plastic nurdles are released into the ocean after shipping containers fall overboard or a bulk vessel filled with nurdles sinks. Imposing massive fines to shippers and insurers for each container and/or vessel lost at sea, is the only way to cut down on reckless shipping practices by building better ships and better shipping containers. Shipping companies make billions in profits every year. Many companies do so at the expenses of the environment and their employees by continuing to use old overloaded vessels until they break apart and sink in heavy seas. Or they send ships in harm's way to save money. On average over two dozen 500+ gross ton ships sink each year. In addition there are on average 1650 containers are lost at sea each year, plus the equivalent amount of bulk cargo. All in the name of greed.
The people highlighted living with the stench of plastic don't own any plastic manufacturing factories or plants. They don't own hydrocarbon energy companies or rubber tree plantations. But here they are being subliminally blamed for plastic pollution. Shame on the billionaire owners of plastic manufacture and plastic whole sale and retail companies for projecting their activities on poor people. Shame on you corporate owners of the plastic industry.
Despite significant efforts to reduce plastic use, it is still a major threat to ecosystems. Although priorities have shifted to more pressing issues, the problem hasn’t diminished and remains a significant environmental crisis that should be addressed immediately.
James Roberts What do you do with the plastics you have collected I have been planning to do some cleanups but have no idea what can we do with those collected plastics.
I'm crying,how can this be dealt with,if you believe in Almighty God he must be so mad how we have destroyed his earth.I believe he will act to stop the destruction and stop humans before it's too late.
The timing of this video is interesting. I run a nonprofit watershed Association and today I was telling one of my members about my goal for this coming year. We were in the middle of planting many trees by the way. My goal is to aim for zero plastic use, purchase etc. in my life. I can buy oranges and lemons to make my own juice drinks and avoid those plastic containers. I can buy milk in glass locally. But, how do I purchase shampoo. It would be great if they would make a dry shampoo similar to dry laundry detergent that would become soapy be when wet. Anyway, I gave up using plastic shopping bags two years ago and I use my own containers when I go to salad bars.
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This is the exact kind of content we need to start important conversations to make change. Most people just aren't aware. Thank you so much!
I think many people are aware but just don't care or care enough to take action.
This is why I INVEST in GReytone Logistics stock...They take WASTE PLASTIC and turn it into 100% Recycled Plastic PALLETS....perfect circular substitutive industry..No more WOODEN Pallets..save our TREES keep plastic out of our OCEANS and marine life
How can people not be aware? Most people are just selfish assholes! I hate to say it, but the only way this is going to change if there are laws passed. To start, we need to ban most "One Use" plastics such as coffee cups and non recyclable drink cups. Secondly, get realistic about recycling. Most town or city recycling programs here in the US are a joke! This should not have to be said that all this should have been implemented years ago!
Aspyn Jade
not enough care..
they think gvt will clean it up
ocean cleanup
Baltimore water wheel
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Its saddening that how we humans ruining our own earth.
Hi Sumit! Thank you so much for watching. It's only through education that we can help people understand the impacts of plastics!
It's corporations & the governments in their back pockets that are to blame. There is no profit without pollution. They're intrinsically linked.
Humans are the solution..✌🏼
Exposing Australia's recycling lie | 60 Minutes Australia
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@@gurumac8992 We are to blame for voting in those politicians. And we are the solution as well. We ALL need to be active and stand up against the greed and corruption and vote out any politician who does not do our bidding.
One of the main issues in this instance is, as the man said, garbage is not collected. There needs to be garbage collected from houses, rivers cleaned, and a livable wage for everyone. These people live beside a river of filth because they can’t afford to move. The same can be said for almost every country. The few people who make the most money, don’t give a shit about the people who work themselves literally to death. Then they tax your burial, and estate. The time is now. Stop letting this happen. Strike. It is long overdue.
Plastic products need to be priced with a higher markup as a deposit insurance guaranteeing that most customers will choose to collect and return plastic items back to collection and not discard them disorderly. There has to be economical and social motivation for people to bring all plastics back for recycling.
DON KAZ I was thinking of the exact same thing, maybe even as expensive as a dollar per bottle. A normal person probably uses a couple dozen bottles per month, 24 dollars per month from returning plastic would definitely add some incentive.
This is how we do it with bottles in Finland:
www.palpa.fi/beverage-container-recycling/deposit-refund-system/
It's not done the same way with plastic packaging for meat and vegetables, probably because they aren't demanded the same things legally as drink bottles. (0,5€ tax per liter unless they join a deposit system)
yes, negative externalities. I think they are working on it here in my country, France. The other key is biodegradable plastics and/or plastics that can be fully recycled. Polymers > monomers > polymers > ...
But most plastic isn't recycling friendly. It's a material that degrades with each recycle, making it only nominally 'worth' recycling because you can't turn it back into the same thing it was. You can't take plastic bottles and make the same plastic bottle like you can with say glass or metal. Eventually the material isn't usable anymore and it gets trashed anyway. We have to stop the problem at the source and stop using plastic or it will just keep piling up.
DON KAZ Why single out plastic? iPhones are sold by the 100 millions and contain toxic waste.
I have spent YEARS reducing plastic in my household. I have to make one change at a time and allow my husband and kids to adjust to that change before making the next change. They freak out and revolt when I try to go zero waste all at once. They seem to not even notice when I make one change at a time though.
1) I got rid of all commercial cleaning products and started cleaning my house with Norwex cloths or vinegar. No more cleaning supplies in plastic bottles. I had to reteach my kids how to clean.
2) I switched to washable feminine hygiene products like Charlie Banana pads and Thinx period panties.
3) I stopped buying liquid hand soap and started buying only bar soap in cardboard packaging.
4) I stopped buying bottles of shampoo and conditioner. I replaced them with shampoo bars by JR Liggetts.
5) I stopped buying all body sprays and perfumes.
There are many more. That is just a start. It is a good start for anyone looking to transition to zero waste. Start small. Adjust. Then try eliminating another plastic.
Jo A I have bought a lot of things from Amazon. I got my bamboo toothbrushes and my bar shampoo from Amazon. My Charlie Banana washable pads came directly from the Charlie Banana website and my Thinx period panties came from shethinx.com. I have a store near here called Natural Grocers. I get some of my supplies from them as well. I found package free bar soap there. I buy Patch bandaids from Amazon.
Also, I bought a Hydro Flask to use at work. I fill it with ice water and it sits on my desk all day. It stays very cold, which is awesome! I bought it directly from Hydro Flask. They have a website, but I don’t know it off the top of my head. If you Google it, it pops up though. That is how I found them.
Jo A I have the same problem; the kids adapt fairly well, but the husband is harder to convince! As long as I give him time to adjust to changes, he seems to eventually adapt. Once he accepts it, I move onto the next thing. It is much easier for one person to go zero waste than an entire family. It can be done though! By the time we figure it out, the kids will be moved out and it will just be me and the hubby. Hopefully my kids take these zero waste changes with them as they head to college and work as adults.
Naomi May - Sustainable Prepper, it’s commendable that you attempt a low waste lifestyle, as many of us do, but there is a practical limit somewhere this side of zero. Even microfibre cleaning cloths and reusable hygiene products have a useful lifespan and will need to be discarded eventually...and I absolutely dread the day someone comes up with reusable toilet paper.
As for cleaning with vinegar, well, it’s one chemical or another, and in my neighbourhood vinegar in large quantities comes only in plastic jugs. Also, to many, it’s repulsive smelling except on fish and chips. It’s also part of the reason that many bars and pubs use it at closing time to wipe down the tables - not because they’re being environmentally conscientious but because the smell makes people leave (this from a longtime friend and restauranteur/bartender).
You didn’t mention plastic bags, perhaps the biggest “plastics” issue we face today, but the fact is we are now paying for the foolishness of a handful of narcissistic one-issue-wonders form 40 years ago (known at the time as ‘tree huggers’) who decided that plastic would be a better choice than paper, even though paper was fully and easily biodegradable, recyclable, reusable and sustainable through reforestation, while plastics now serve only as whale fodder. Anyway, governments, to remain popular, caved in to their uneducated demands and here we are now.
Hopefully we’ll do better this time.
Ray Ray I have found a solution to the vinegar and plastic bottles thing. I actually started fermenting my own apple cider vinegar. I buy apples from the bulk bins, chop them up, put them in a jar with sugar and let them ferment for a couple months. It is a zero Waste way to do vinegar. I can clean the house with it. I have not figured out how to replace the white vinegar I use in my loads of laundry though.
I guess I forgot to mention shopping bags. I use tote bags that are made of cloth or canvas. I have been using the same bags a long time now and they haven’t worn out yet.
It really is a tragedy that single use plastics came about!!!
I actually didn’t find out that microfiber was actually plastic until I already owned the Norwex cloths. I still use them because I don’t want to dump them in a landfill. It just seems more sustainable to use them until they wear out.
You all watch this, and say things, but are you making changes? It's not hard and it's not impossible. These single use items will outlive you- you don't need them for a one time craving. Bring your own stuff!!!!
I'm trying. I switched from buying 10 soda water bottles every week to getting a glass bottle soda stream. Australia has banned the single use plastic bag and Hobart has banned single use plastic cups, straws and coffee lids etc. Its a Step in the right direction. I'm very new to this so any suggestions would be great.
@@MyMEGAamazinglife1 My tip is to look at your garbage, and see what things there are that you buy constantly. Think if you could replace those things with something without plastic. I noticed that I ate a lot of bread and sandwitches in plastic. Now I try to buy bread from the "baked here today" parts of stores and bakeries with my own reusable produce bags. (And if you can't visit a bakery, for example, every time, you can buy more at once and freeze it. Freezing fresh bread keeps it fresh.)
Kevin George true..there is this material that resembles and acts as plastic, but it disintegrates and it us safe to eat by animals, I believe is made with algae...
@@Kgeorge86 I have done low waste for a few years now and in these situations, you look for the best option. I love having mixed berries in my morning smoothies and so I buy them frozen in a plastic bag. In Australia there's a system where this type of plastic is recyclable and I use the minimal amount of berries to make the bag go further
its not so easy as simply recycling. less than 10 percent of ALL plastic ever made has ever been recycled. Nowadays everything is wrapped in film and packages are just as bad if not worse than things like water bottles. Like how do you reuse that yk its impossible. The conversation needs to be about what plastic producers need to do, not continue with the propaganda that the responsibility relies on the consumer.
This documentary is truly amazing , raising awareness of what is happening to our oceans is so important and you have done such a good job , I go to sennen cove at least twice a year and recently I’ve picked up 2 whole bags of plastic and waste , it breaks my heart to see what we’re doing to such important places
I was really shocked at Sennen too. The plastic pollution seems to be getting worse and it looks to have all been washed up from other places and being trapped there. It's a real shame as it's such a beautiful part of the world.
The people highlighted living with the stench of plastic don't own any plastic manufacturing factories or plants. They don't own hydrocarbon energy companies or rubber tree plantations. But here they are being subliminally blamed for plastic pollution. Shame on the billionaire owners of plastic manufacture and plastic whole sale and retail companies for projecting their activities on poor people. Shame on you corporate owners of the plastic industry.
@@jamesroberts941 Can I reupload it?
@@jamesroberts941 would a global deposit be possible? States like Michigan have deposit laws that see a recycling rate above 90%, more if the deposit were increased.. (the rate of recycling has dropped in recent years due to the deposit not keeping up with inflation) It helps lake Michigan, but there's still a lot of plastic getting into the lake. It seems like a global issue that requires a response from all nations.
‘We throw it in the ocean and she throws it back’ great sentiment.
Manufacturers' need to be held to account. Personal responsibility to dispose of plastic waste products will only reduce the problem so far (it sits in huge piles in re-cycling depot and then ends up in landfill). Manufacturers' NEED to come up with better alternatives. An amazing man in Japan made hotel soap packets that were totally biodegradable from sustainable seaweed harvesting. Genius. Great video. Well done. Accountability from manufacturers!
It is devastating to see the reality and scale of this issue and just how much people in other areas are affecting by it.
However, it's also wonderful to see how much you care about the worldwide plastic crisis and this video has been made really well.
Like yourself, 8 months ago I had enough with plastic pollution and so I started an NGO called Pure Clean Earth and now focus every day fighting this same battle.
I hope that more and more people become aware and decide to raise their voices, put pressure on the governments to act faster, and that schools worldwide begin to put nature at the core of how we learn, live, and act.
We certainly do not have enough time to be making small changes 5-10 years down the line. I hope that this video makes a huge impact and encourages thousands of people more, to call for change.
"Love your environment otherwise your environment will stop loving you"-
Hopefully Love will find the Answer it is the Greatest Force
Another big problem are the food packaging for restaurant take away, and food deliveries
This is SO well made. The fact that waves are now spewing out plastic worldwide on coasts and we're still not doing anything about plastic shows exactly how self-destructive and oblivious we are. Disgusting. Thank you for this.
Great documentary. It's scary when i think about issues like this. It's time for the world to start to pay serious attention to issues of the environment.
In all these excellent documentaries I've never heard anyone talk about growing hemp to make biodegradable plastic. Hemp can also replace cotton and be used to make hempcrete. Imagine a plastic bag that you can throw away in a compost heap that will turn into soil. It seems like a no brainer. Does anyone agree with me? Budah of Birmingham
The property that is most useful about plastic is its ability to completely keep out moisture from whatever you are carrying in the plastic. Also it keeps the moisture from escaping for example with produce bags, keeping vegetables fresher longer. I hope that hemp products will be able to do that so that plastic can be replaced.
However, some of the bioplastics I have encountered so far seem to fall short in this regard.
Ana But does the cassava work as well as regular plastic? Can it really prevent water from getting inside the bag like plastic? I doubt it unfortunately.
It makes more sense to stop making toxic plastics that rely on nasty materials such as oil/coal that harm the earth and people to make, not to mention the harm to us and animals dealing with the left overs! Not to mention the ugliness and filth!!
@@UncleJ2058 Plastic also is not perfect ; there are small holes. Liquids should be stored in glass or other reuseable ( man must carry the container to have it filled up) better yet containers!
I agree.
This plastic documentary is so wonderful and realistic that anyone can learn about the implications of even one bottle of plastic. When I learn about the pollution, it truly crushes my heart. But I have optimism if educational institutions step forward and distribute this film with students because it is the most effective way to raise awareness.
Thank you James for making this very powerful & very much needed documentary on WORLD WIDE PLASTIC POLLUTION. I will absolutely make sure that I will do my part to clean all the body's of water that include streams, creeks, rivers, oceans & to clean up plastic pollution on not only our bodies of water in the world ,but all the land masses in the world. I pray that this documentary sends out the message of LOVE for our wonderful & blessed Planet that we call Earth & to be Stuarts for this awesome planet that was gifted to us to look after for all present generations & future generations. Let us all work together to make a difference to make this planet Earth which is called our BEAUTIFUL HOME.
Sad to see how people reject all responsibility. Basically we trash, and the government should do something about it. As if we're just pets messing around and it's our owner's job to clean the mess behind us.
That said, this is an outstanding documentary. People need to be aware of that. I don't understand how this barely talked about by the media. It should make front page every day.
The people highlighted living with the stench of plastic don't own any plastic manufacturing factories or plants. They don't own hydrocarbon energy companies or rubber tree plantations. But here they are being subliminally blamed for plastic pollution. Shame on the billionaire owners of plastic manufacture and plastic whole sale and retail companies for projecting their activities on poor people. Shame on you corporate owners of the plastic industry.
@@dtriniboss First of all I'm not a corporate owner of a plastic industry. But I still started this project where we go on river banks and pick up the trash to help the local fauna and eventually for it not to make it's way to the ocean (we do that on the Saint-Lawrence river in Canada, which is directly connected to the Atlantic ocean).
We do that because we're plastic users. Of course the big companies have their responsibility too, but if we reject the fact that we all have free will and can decide either to use plastic or not, to trash plastic or to clean the environment from plastic. It's not always the billionaire's fault. We have power. If you don't recognize it, it's just a matter of time before you do. When the crowd of people taking their responsibility gets big enough, you will join it, because it will seem like the obvious thing to do. In the meantime, there will always be people like us taking responsibility for others in order to lead the way for others.
@@fl260 You started wrong. Go film the plastic industry's mining facilities and factories that make and sell these plastics. Interview their owners about why they ruin the world to make themselves rich. Make them culpable such that they spend they riches cleaning up their mess.
Public choice is limited to corporate and government access to alternatives. Global monopolies, government imposed subsidies, tariffs, greed for instant perpetual wealth circumvent public access to better more environmentally materials. So blaming the public is farce.
@@dtriniboss If no one uses plastic, they would stop making it. Since we started taking our responsibilities, we became obsessed by not using plastic whenever possible. If fact we're slowly re-arranging our life towards this way of living.
I mean you can keep writing paragraphs on how I'm wrong to take my responsibilities and how you're right not to take yours, but that won't change my mind. Sorry.
Edit: By the way it's always the person doing something about it who's in the wrong. People who do nothing seem to always have all the answers. This is a clear pattern.
@@fl260 If plastic makers had to fund cleanup of their plastic waste. would they continue indiscriminately making it, devoid of who or what it affected or killed? Making plastics ought to affect the bottom line of its miners and manufacturers, which to them (to you) is making a profit at the expense of everyone and everything else in the world.
Now the proverbial shit is blowing back having hit the fan, plastics makers think they can escape financial responsibility by propagandising blame on the rest of the world. Oh, the rest of the world caused this. The rest of the world must fund its cleanup. Liars.
This kind of film material must be broadly presented to everybody in the whole world. We need much more people like you. Great job!.
Amen - Couldn’t agree MORE LIKE YOU- WHO DO CARE!!
Doesn't help when litter picks use more single use gloves and bags for the collection either. Wonder if government is able to help provide biodegradable bags and the helpers wash and reuse gloves?
Becca Dawson That’s a good point. Though a pair of gloves & a bag to pick up a trailer full of plastic is not a bad compromise.
I’ve shared this with my family and friends.
Thank you for this precious film. Tears are coming when I see, what the humans are doing to this wonderful world and the suffering it means for all the beautiful, precious living creatures all over the planet. Not only the people are suffering, even more the animals which are not at all responsible for all the rubbish, and they have no alternative to get it into her bodies and suffer and die or see her children's dying.
I really hope we humans find a way and become responsible and aware creatures!
And I hope they stop killing the rainforest!!! The humanity is not aware of what it is doing.
James, this is superb. Helping spread a very important message. I hope the film hours far and wide for you. Thank you
A short bittersweet documentary. Well done and presented.
We need more like this to educate people, instead of these half-hearted "let's try to shock people with one documentary in order to make it look like we care" things we get from the mainstream media
Documentaries such as this one should be presented at schools. Its educational and it touches all of us. We all can make a difference.
Very down to earth dude, it's great that James is pushing hard to make a difference. Too much plastic non recyclable plastics is real. It's caused by the need for more and more disposable non renewable plastics, the most overpopulated countries have the most plastics in dumps, pits and in rivers, lakes and oceans. The major element contributing to this world catastrophe is overpopulation.
Excellent documentary 🤙 hopefully opening peoples eyes to the enormity of the problem. Devastating to see how much plastic is entering our precious oceans, but great to see some hope. Keep up the fight against plastic you amazing human! 💪🤙🙏🏄🏼♂️
There's a contact email in the YT video description. Also, FB and IG info.
4:26 sums up what we are doing to our planet. We're not only ruining our own health as a species but killing other living creatures in the process. it's heartbreaking.
Perhaps we need "plastics solutions fairs" where local companies can showcase their plastic free products - and give bigger companies a chance to offer what they are doing. This is a market solution that offers a positive opportunity for people and would empower people with hopeful outlooks, and make people feel that they have the power to choose non-plastic options.
Thank you for creating this! The more people learn the more likely they’ll change. It’s super motivating to change my own lifestyle after seeing the actual damage. I knew it was bad and try to use reusable bags but after seeing this I know I need to do more! There’s plastic on so many things, here’s to finding a more eco friendly lifestyle!
There's a school student making a machine/device that will collect the plastic and trash in the sea. He was concerned with the great ocean whirlpool dump in the pacific.
ginger cox Yes it’s a brilliant idea. The micro plastics clean up will be the next challenge.
baltimore has Mr Garbage.. a floating water wheel thingamajig that grabs floating plastics from harbor... Mr Garbage is a local celebrity.... unlike our mayors..he does a honest days work!
@Nic Pont why?
This really saddens me. I am teaching a novel that is dealing with many issues, but one of them is this issue of plastic and its effect on the environment. My learners are starting to see the impact of waste on the environment. Glad I found this. Will be bringing it into the classroom as a resource.
What novel?
@@DRMGROVER1 The Mark by Edyth Bulbring
Thank you so much! I need to spread this video. I live nearly plastic free already. But I am so prepped for doing more now. THX!
The producers must share the blame and responsibility....they must be involved too in the cleaning...
Who says they aren't ?!
How can they hold a camera and clean up at the same time
@@owenmclaughlan1893 lmao xDDDD
I’ve always recycle and try to be conscientious about my families waste. The main problem I have is grocery shopping for my family. It’s almost impossible to buy certain food especially meats that are not wrapped in some form of plastic. I have to feed my kids and I really hope in the future they offer a type of packaging for foods in our cities grocery stores that isn’t plastic.
Nice job.. The way you communicated this issue is really great!
The roots of most problems humans are facing today (climate change, resource depletion, pollution, corruption, poverty, hunger, conflict, war, …) are overpopulation, greed, and a throwaway culture.
- The bigger our population, the more resources we consume and the more waste we produce. More consumption means faster resource depletion as resources on Earth are finite, recycling is never 100%, and consumption is faster than recycling. More waste means more pollution and climate change.
- Greed leads all those problems, directly or indirectly.
- The throwaway culture leads to resource depletion and pollution.
To tackle these root problems, we need to
- Limit and reduce our population: stop having more children, consider adopting orphans instead
- Control our greed: greed is an intrinsic characteristic of any living creature (greed for food, for shelter, for territory, for mate, … => greed to survive). Greed never goes away. We can only be aware of it and control it. When we care more about the environment and others, our greed will decrease.
- Stop throwing things away: apply 5R (refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot) as much as we can
Personally, these are things I've been doing
- Decide not to have any more children
- Control my greed
- Is it selfish?
- Is it too much?
- Is it vanity?
- Apply 5R
- Always bring a reusable bag and water bottle when going out
- Think more before buying; try to buy only things I need, not things I want
- Avoid tissues or split tissues to save paper
- Avoid wet wipes
- Use shower instead of bath tub
- Glue my shoes
- Clean up the beach
- …
- Go vegan
- Share what I do
All changes start individually. When enough people change, the system will change.
When enough people will change, the system will change too! Can agree here
Im polymer technology's student ..thnks for the information .. I'll try my best to prevent this problem from getting worst
I am 62 years old, and growing up we had no supermarkets but local "corner" shops. You took a canvas bag to the shop and if you wanted potatoes for instance they weighed them and tipped them into your bag. Boiled ham, corned beef, and cheese were all sliced on a hand slicer and wrapped in grease proof paper. Milk was delivered by milkmen in reusable bottles.Glass pop and beer bottles had a deposit charge so it was in your interest to return them. You go to a supermarket today and most fruit and veg comes in bags. 6 cans of drink comes wrapped in plastic. You go on holiday and you can have your suitcase wrapped in cling film! Why! its in a case. I have just purchased a new bed and the plastic sheet that wrapped it all in was unbelievable. I know it is needed to keep the product clean during transit but it has to go somewhere. We need to say to manufactures when you make something what happens when it wears out or is no longer needed? How is it deposed of. If you can`t give that guarantee then they can`t go ahead. You live in a lovely part of the UK so this is on your doorstep. I live in the midlands and visit only on holiday. In saying that I remember in 1982 Me and some mates visited Malta. We went on a tour of the island. This involved lunch on board the boat. However, shortly after lunch we set off on our tour, we were leaning over the side of the boat enjoying seeing the fish in the beautiful clear blue water. Suddenly a door opened and all our plastic cups plates knifes and forks were swept overboard into the sea. We need to sort it now or the disaster movies about global issues we enjoy will be real. I will be dead and gone when things get really bad but I have children who have children and I fear for them. For the sake of mankind lets sort it. Thanks for your time in making this video. All the best for your future. ;-)
Thanks for the video. It is very informative. I will try to use it here at school as part of my environmental awareness talks.
In the 70's I came to california for the 1st time and in the morning i woke early to gather shalls. From a distance i could see a tide line of chips of various colors in long strain out lines piled about 3's high. It was all packing bits like squiggles and those bowl shaped chips about an inch in diameter. I was amazed and disappointed i wasn't the only one. They passed laws to limit the usage of syrophome for packaging at all food eateries. During the 80's and 90's there was a dramatic improvement way more seaweed and shells stillthe beach tar however. I think the laws have gone by the way side and the usage of plastic has dramatically increased since the 70's. move to change.
Exposing Australia's recycling lie | 60 Minutes Australia
th-cam.com/video/lqrlEsPoyJk/w-d-xo.html
Amazing documentary hopefully people will learn to help are amazing ocean! STOP PLASTIC POLLUTION!♻️
This is extremely good and you made us aware about the situation that is happening. I hope that plastic should be stopped from manufacturing
This Breaks My Heart, i wish plastic was never invented
rajamma John me too! I can even live without pepsi only if it will make sure of plastic free oceans and beaches
Thanks for making this documentary! We need many more. I'm sailing slowly around the world in my small boat and getting more and more concerned the further I go. Plastic everywhere.. I would really like to help in some way too.
Sailing Learning By Doing we dont need any more documentation, we need real people taking real actions - seeking out plastic manufacturers and stopping them of producing more of plastics
This is the reason why Thanos was right?
Thanos is wrong.
Aye 😅
@@suides4810
He is right but the way how he achieve his goals is wrong.
@@suides4810 you don't get the meme?
Will Aluminium Cans Replace Plastic Bottles?
,,,,,....
th-cam.com/video/GD9_OTeBL9o/w-d-xo.html
This documentary shows us the consequences of plastic. It is sad to see so much plastic in the ocean and in other developing countries such as India. A big part of the problem is single use plastic. The film stated how we are all directly or indirectly responsible for the plastic in the ocean. We rely too much in single use plastics and confuse plastic as disposable. We need to work the plastic into the economy to have it recycled or disposed of properly. I would like to see more communities take initiative and organize cleaning parties to clean up our environment.
It's really a great & informative video to spread the awareness of the plastic crisis that we are facing now and in the future. I am in the mean of spreading the consequences of continued usage of plastic. Plastic Islands are forming in the oceans and some are as big as countries. Birds are marine lives suffering in the frontier for our irresponsible actions. And this condition will soon come to us in the near future should we not to take proactive action NOW. I have made the first video (informative but not too serious) on plastic waste (within 1.5 mins) to reach out to more people that ONLY have very short and little time (on the bus, train, queue while waiting for somebody or something) to raise the awareness and not letting them losing their patience.
Some of the footage within are very attractive and informative. Do you think if I can use some of this footage for my next video on plastic awareness part 2?
It is already making its way into humans via micro-plastics. Microscopic analysis of samples of clams and oysters destined for peoples' meal tables have turned up bits of microplastics in the flesh of these sea creatures... Karma..
Excellent documentary. Moving and informative. Well done.
Shared on facebook. Thank you for making this! Great job filming too and editing.
AMAZING! Please lovely people share this. This is the content we need. we all have to learn and educate ourselves about this issue. Say no to plastic! Go out in the world and just try to live plastc free. Dont go out and buy tonns of clothes who dont fill your emptiness. Our nature is more important. Its where we belong. No nature. No humans. Do we wanna see our children and loved ones die at age 50 because theres nothing left but trash? Please open your eyes. Lets work against it lets educate our friends and family!!! The more we talk about the more it gets a trend
We’re destroying the Earth, one plastic bottle at a time 😔
Oil and gas companies have to be held accountable because they’ve created this mess. There are only so many beach clean ups we can do. It has to be fixed at the source. If they cannot be stopped, they need to be TAXED. All of their junk should be sent right back to them to deal with. It is frightening that we are reaching a tipping point globally. We NEED more biodegradable and compostable materials urgently.
I don’t understand why more companies don’t use aluminum cans, aluminum will break down much faster and is very efficient to recycle. Also, I don’t know of any animals with stomachs full of aluminum. If aluminum enters the ocean, it will sink and break down quickly at the bottom of the ocean.
Bennamon Cinnamon In reality, aluminum isn‘t being recycled as much as we‘d like it to. When it is being recycled, they use 50% of the old material and 50% of new one. Also, in production, it is very harmful to the planet, because the byproduct of 1 tonne of aluminum are 3 tonned of acid slime.
It's unbelievable and truly sad how much plastic we are able to create. And these pieces of plastic are very often not needed and not necessary.
You did a great job...dude..♥️
I live in India.. Mumbai..
I really want my Mumbai my maharashtra, my india,my Asia, my world/our world.. To be clean.. Just like those Maldives.. Every single rive lake seas oceans must be just like those clean out there
Then we must do our best. Please dont use plastic straws, bottles, cups and cutlery. Thats the least we can do. I am trying my bit and you should do too, along with that educate people around you.
I have been really impressed by what I have seen done by the Paani Foundation. People can be so much richer in health and spirit if the system in which they live is changed.
I make sure I use a reusable water bottle everyday and fill it up before I go somewhere or I fill it up at drinking fountain so that I don't have to buy a plastic water bottle. I encourage others to do the same. I have cotton bags and I bought a 4ocean bracelet. I really dislike single use plastics. Everyone should change take action if they can. It's not too hard. Spread the word!
25 years ago, i have seen a reportage. They were questionning why so many kind of container for water, detergent and so on. Would it be simple to have the same kind of container and re-use it again ... without trowing them for recycle process or worst waste.
This was made almost 2 years ago and I have just now heard about this, it’s so sad to see have much there was 2 years ago and how much more there is now. Please do what you can to send the least you can to landfills and keep our oceans clean.
In the last two years we have double digit growth in plastic industry
Fantastic work James👍
This documentary is outstanding !!! Its sad that these type of videos dont go viral ,but yet idiotic videos do! We must spread the word about this video so people can finally open their eyes about what we are doing to our planet
this needs soooo much more attention! Great video, i'm glad that there's people that care so much about the topic, cause i do so much
i think it's the tip of the iceberg; the pile of shit is so deep.
did you see how the presenter in India was only focusing on the plastic in that filthy river?
people need to drink and wash, that river was socially offensive. when does that get cleaned up?
if you want to help and don’t know how, try buying a bracelet from 4ocean. they are hand assembled and made from glass, plastic and other harmful materials that workers found in the ocean. they also remove one pound of trash from the ocean for every bracelet bought!! i have 3 already and they are super comfortable and waterproof. please help make difference
Excellent information ...I had no idea it was this bad! I consider myself awake..but now after watching this I'm more awake than I was...I am a conscious shopper, eater ( vegan) and I try to do the 4'r's. I still think that industry could do much more. But at the end of the day..It's us, the Consumer.
The first step is self accountability and minute 10:00 is a perfect example of that....sad. Nobody views things as their problem and instead waits around for others to take action. It's everybody's problem.
You're absolutely right. That man can blame the government all he wants, but he isn't helping the situation either and refuses to change his ways.
a very educational film and we love it. Hopefully many people will be more aware of the importance of processing plastic waste in order to save our beloved earth#banksampahmajubahagia
Plastic should be banned worldwide
Nasty
Banning isn't the solution you dumb headed fool finding a sustainable recycling solution is the key.
*This is why mental health is in crisis.*
Review
This documentary made by James Roberts is about the plastic pollution in our ocean especially in India which is responsible for about 60% of plastic waste in the ocean. One of the parts that really stuck out to me is when James visits Sarah Nelms a marine biologist and she talks about microplastics. She shows us micro plastic under a microscope and explains how plastic takes hundreds of years to break down completely and it becomes microscopic with wear. She says that she found micro plastic in seal poop and that scientists don’t know exactly how this affects the animal’s body.
The main part of the documentary is when James takes a trip to India and discovers that in some places trash collectors don’t come, so the people there throw their trash in a river that leads to the ocean. He is appalled and saddened by this and talks to a local who says that the blame really falls on India’s government. James also meets up with a man determined to clean the beach and he states how hard this is when trash is constantly being washed back on shore. Throughout the documentary the message is clear that plastic is changing our world for the worst and that it should not be treated as disposable.
James, it was a very nice documentary and I vow not to use single-use plastic anymore.
You mentioned being in Mumbai that you might be picking up plastic on British beaches from India. Until just 74 years ago, Brits picked up so much from India that fills your major museums, many family riches and beyond that... now you plummeted to plastic..(take it as a sarcastic reality..😂)
So so sad we the world are in big trouble and nobody cares. I pray for the future of tomorrow 💔💔💔🙏🏻
Cant believe I just had to watch two ads for this thing for class
@James Roberts : thankyou for this beautiful (sorry), documentary.
Our planet has become an ugly place due to humans just trashing it basically.
(in more ways than just PLASSSSTIC)....
It sadden me as to what we are doing to our planet.
sure, i bought a Gaterade drink, but did you know, I used that same bottle for 3 years just refilling it with water......
Greetz from Australia.
Mick
Humans are destroying everything
I wouldn't advise using the same Gatorade bottle because if you refill the same single use bottle, some of the plastic seeps into the water and then you drink it. I would advise getting a metal flask.
if everyone think and work together, it’s will be wonderful, but it’s sad to think some people just don’t care!!! after watching this! I will change my way
The family couldn't even think about how to dispose of plastic because they were living day by day trying to focus on how to survive themselves. When you live in those kinds of conditions, there's no capacity to even think about environmental sustainability. In developed countries, we have the privilege to worry about these kinds of issues and we should set an example for the world instead of shaming developing societies for not doing the same. They'll eventually get there but it'll take time.
ATTENTION PLEASE !!
some ways to reduce usage of plastic (PLEASE READ , it might save our world)
1. DO NOT use single-use plastic
2. Use bar soap to wash your dishes and also try to use bar facewash and shampoo (if available)
3. buy from a local farmers shop , and bring you own reusable containers
4. or just bring your own cloth bag whenever you go shopping
5. say NO to plastic cutlery , instead carry your own wooden or steel cutlery in a small pouch.
6.Give up chewing gum.
7. Bring your own coffee mug and bottle if you forget just ask for a paper one instead of plastic
8. Choose natural clothing fibers (cotton) over synthetic.
9. use menstrual cups , biodegradable pads , period proof underwear , reusable pads
10. Compost food waste to reduce kitchen trash bags.
11. Purchase a bamboo toothbrush or one made out of recycled plastic.
12. buy a stainless steel razor and metal straw
13. Buy second hand products
14. Know how much waste you produce and try to rethink the things you do normally to reduce plastic
15. Educate people and spread awareness . Make people realize that we are the ones destroying our earth without even knowing . MANY SMALL STEPS BY AN INDIVIDUAL WILL RESULT IN SOMETHING HUGE. SAVE EARTH!
Imagine - if you opened your front door to go to work or shopping or whatever - tomorrow morning - and you couldn't walk there because you were up to your ankles in GARBAGE - AND - it went on as far as your eyes could see. I started watching this film about an hour ago - and I've only seen 14 minutes - I have to keep stopping it - I'M TOTALLY FREAKED OUT - I can't stop crying.
The first ALARM came as I saw the little albatross chick - his stomach full of plastic bottle caps and LIGHTERS! - he had died because he had starved to DEATH because there was nowhere in his stomach for FOOD to go. A few more minutes and we're in Mumbai - the river is so FULL of plastic you can barely see the water. I break down again. As I watch, I realize I have to send this to EVERYONE I know. We HAVE to let everybody KNOW - that's the problem - people just don't REALLY KNOW! It's worse than anybody realizes. What these kids in CORNWALLL are doing is really encouraging. It's our sweet children that will bear the burden of all this. Let's hope and pray it's not too late.
How does this only have 30.000 views?!
I am school for Environmental Sustainability and Engineering... I've seen these beaches and the madness of our own makings (and consumerism) that drive them to death....it's marvelous that so many are out there cleaning these beaches... But the question still remains... Where does the plastic go?
Back to the recycling centers and trash..... And right back to the beaches...
We have a say in how much plastic is produced. It's not an overnight fix. Nothing sustainable ever has been. But if we don't start banning plastics from our shopping ventures, why should anyone stop producing it? There are nearly 9billion of us on this planet already. If everyone claim that one person can't make a difference... We'll be extinct in 30 yrs or less.
If everyone says that one person can create change... That's 18 billion hands. That's a big difference.
But if nothing changes - - nothing changes.
I’m glad my teacher gave us an assignment about this.
I‘m gonna cry because I can‘t believe that the human is doing this to it‘s own planet...
Who still think the Extinction Rebellion folks are cuckoos?
I just hope they get something changed...
For our childrens sake
The documentary is amazing, its very heart touching i feel bad for our earth. we are continuously destroying not only earth but our life too
Truly horrific scenes playing out all over our planet. Plastic is now in the flesh of seafood we consume. We should have addressed this 20 years ago. With each passing year the issues grows by roughly 25% over the previous year.
We can employ the poor in developing nation's to make nets with natural fibers. These nets can be used to carry paper bags which would otherwise rip during our commutes. Nets have the advantage of drying out faster than canvas bags. Reusable canvas bags are great. However, many still refuse to adapt. Which completely astounds me. Many complain they soil easily. Well so do the clothes we wear. Like our clothes, they can be thrown in the wash. I wash mine with the kitchen towels. All of the excuses spewed out by those opposed to reusable bags, are getting old and without merit. Cities that have banned plastic bags have not suffered in any way. We're now able to make all sorts of packaging out of natural fibers other than wood. Producing bags and food containers no longer requires us to cut down carbon sequestering, oxygen producing, Earth cooling trees, rain producing, and erosion controlling trees. Palm plantation owners are now harvesting and selling palm leaves to make compostable plates, bowls, and platters. These plantations used to hire people to collect and burn the palm leaves. Now they're making money off what was once an expensive and environmentally damaging practice.
The days of utilizing cheap chemicals to mass produce items like styrofoam plates and cups must end. We have the technology and resources to find new ways of utilizing what is considered waste. With China boycotting our recycling, we should be building local facilities to recycle our domestic items. Instead, most of the items we recycle are ending up in landfills simply to save a few bucks. It is up to us to call on our leaders to pressure the government to act. We had it easy when China was buying our waste. During this time all of the money made from selling recyclables should have been invested in domestic recycling facilities. All forms of plastic and foam is recyclable despite what we're told. Plastics which are not safe for use as food containers can be made into hundreds of other items such as insulation, decking, fencing, benches, street pavers, roofing tiles, and siding to name a few. Instead roughly 20% of the plastics we consume is not considered recyclable. As a result those plastics go into our landfills or is incinerated. On top of that 20%, most of the plastics we put out for recycling was and is not being recycled because we don't have a national standard for processing our recycling. All items must be free of contamination. Meaning all of the glass, plastics, and metal must be clean. All paper products must also be free of organic debris. Keep paper and other recycling separate until you put it in the bin. This will keep the paper products from getting wet while the cleaned items dry. Soiled and wet paper items go in the composting bin. Almost 90% of the items we recycle go-to the landfill because they're dirty or have the caps still on them. Caps are made of different and hard to recycle plastic. Those sorting at recycling facilities don't remove caps. They throw the item away.
Even if we cleared the oceans of all the visable plastics today, we'd still have micro plastics in our food for the next 100 plus years. Plastics still have a place in our lives. We simply need to treat them like a prescious commodity and toxic waste. Adding a special tax and refundable deposits to all plastic beverage and food containers will ensure those items are mostly recovered. The tax will be used to pay for recycling those items back to into nurdles for reuse. Charging a tax of a dollar or more for each single use bag at super markets, restaurants, clothing stores, or any other retails will cut down dramatically on their use. The funds collected can be used for projects removing plastic waste from beaches or bodies of water, the construction of new recycling facilities, and eduction programs regarding toxic plastic pollution plaguing our planet. As well as implementing new recycling programs aimed at the collection of all traditionally non-recyclable plastics which can be turned into roofing tiles for poorer communities via tax incentive schemes. Old toys, foam containers, vehicle bumpers, rubberized plastics, cellophane, shrink wrap, tarps, and all other bits of plastic not currently recycled, because of their composition, can be made into all sorts of every day items.
Most of us spare no expense when it comes to the health of our families. Our connection to the environment affects our health. Let's rewrite our own future by cutting ties with our ignorance and indifference to the catastrophic damage cause by our overuse and wreckless disposal of plastics. We've caused more harm to our planet in just the last fifty years than ever in the history of mankind combined. Plastic pollution is in the air, the water, and now in our food. The first step is education and the collection of plastics in developing countries. Those in developing countries don't know or realize the impact they're having as a result of dumping plastics in the rivers and seas. They don't realize the plastic won't decompose or sink. Many see tarps and other thin plastics deteriorating in the sun. They honestly believe plastic will decompose into organic compounds. They don't realize the plastic is simply breaking apart, not decomposing. It requires government investment to educate and collect the plastics from it's people. Watching men, women, and children dump trash into the river is heart wrenching. If only they knew the impact of their actions, they'd likely stop. The only way they can stop is if they have somewhere to put it, it was collected, or if they were refunded deposits paid for the plastic items. Communities without access to clean water and a sewage system are not thinking about the adverse affect of dumping plastics into the river. They're merely just trying to survive. A government which can't provide potable water or sewage systems, does not have the resources to cope with plastics. In such instances, no single use plastics should be introduced or permitted. In Western countries we clean our plastic before placing it curbside for collection. We can't expect those in areas without enough drinking water to clean their plastics for reuse or recycling. If they could wash their plastics they could stuff their walls with bags or shredded tarps to insulate against the heat and cold. Bags can be woven into mats used for sleeping, new reusable strong bags, etc, etc... These mats are used under reed mats to keep the moisture wicking through causing premature decomposing. They can be used as an insulating air and noise gap under the corrugated roofing. Single use bags do not need to be single use. Those in developing countries need education to see all of the ways they can reuse this valuable commodity. Making and selling reed mats insulated with woven plastic bags would provide added income. Where water is available, they can wash and melt down most forms of plastic and foam and mix with sand or sawdust to create roofing tiles, bricks, wall panels, fencing, decking, floor tiles, paving tiles.... The list of uses other than food safe plastic items is nearly limitless.
Advancements in decomposing plant based plastics is going to help. However the key to ending our addiction to everything plastic is utilizing wasted plant material to make sustainable products to replace the plastics. Plastics will always be a part of the modern world. I don't deny or even pretend otherwise.
The fact is we haven't been living sustainably for the last 250 years. I struggle to understand why we, the richest nation, are still burning coal today just to produce electricity. Why is it not code to make solar mandatory for all new construction or roof replacements? Why are vertical wind turbines not built into each new home? Why are homes built so poorly they're leaking air dirty electricity was used to condition?
Lastly, I do realize some of the synthetic materials in our oceans was deposited accidentally or as a result of storms ripping communities apart and sinking vessels. Shipping containers should be watertight with GPS locators. Shippers and insurers must be tasked with retrieving these containers when a ship sinks or they fall off during storms. Aside from floods or tsunamis, plastic nurdles are released into the ocean after shipping containers fall overboard or a bulk vessel filled with nurdles sinks. Imposing massive fines to shippers and insurers for each container and/or vessel lost at sea, is the only way to cut down on reckless shipping practices by building better ships and better shipping containers. Shipping companies make billions in profits every year. Many companies do so at the expenses of the environment and their employees by continuing to use old overloaded vessels until they break apart and sink in heavy seas. Or they send ships in harm's way to save money. On average over two dozen 500+ gross ton ships sink each year. In addition there are on average 1650 containers are lost at sea each year, plus the equivalent amount of bulk cargo. All in the name of greed.
The people highlighted living with the stench of plastic don't own any plastic manufacturing factories or plants. They don't own hydrocarbon energy companies or rubber tree plantations. But here they are being subliminally blamed for plastic pollution. Shame on the billionaire owners of plastic manufacture and plastic whole sale and retail companies for projecting their activities on poor people. Shame on you corporate owners of the plastic industry.
Despite significant efforts to reduce plastic use, it is still a major threat to ecosystems. Although priorities have shifted to more pressing issues, the problem hasn’t diminished and remains a significant environmental crisis that should be addressed immediately.
Amazing video, very inspirational and eye opening. Thank you very much sir!
James Roberts
What do you do with the plastics you have collected I have been planning to do some cleanups but have no idea what can we do with those collected plastics.
I just noticed how many plastic containers the lab had they should also look to introduce more eco friendly storage containers
Thank you for showing this to us.
Great film Dave. I hope there is time.
Watching this for class but it's actually really interesting.
I'm crying,how can this be dealt with,if you believe in Almighty God he must be so mad how we have destroyed his earth.I believe he will act to stop the destruction and stop humans before it's too late.
Thanks for sharing life with enthusiasm awesome video
The timing of this video is interesting. I run a nonprofit watershed Association and today I was telling one of my members about my goal for this coming year. We were in the middle of planting many trees by the way. My goal is to aim for zero plastic use, purchase etc. in my life. I can buy oranges and lemons to make my own juice drinks and avoid those plastic containers. I can buy milk in glass locally. But, how do I purchase shampoo. It would be great if they would make a dry shampoo similar to dry laundry detergent that would become soapy be when wet. Anyway, I gave up using plastic shopping bags two years ago and I use my own containers when I go to salad bars.
Really appreciate the effort behind this film.
I am also working on plastic recycling
thanks for all your effort to make this video !
Who is the government that do that to us, are they not humans theirself?
so true, everyone needs to take responsibility
Watched this video for a school project, helped a lot.
The only solution is to say "NO" to plastic. Hope for the clean, plastic-free environment. Jai Hind!
We, the consumers, need to demand less plastic and alternatives to plastic from the manufactuers.