On June 13th, Seaside Sustainability was joined by panelists and participants to examine the growing threat of plastic pollution and discuss the eye-opening documentary The Story of Plastic.
The Story of Plastic sheds light on the issues of plastic pollution on a global scale. From waste management to plastic production, the film shows a hidden crisis that almost every individual, community, and corporation contributes to and in turn, is affected by.
Produced by The Story of Stuff, The Story of Plastic shows why plastic pollution is a problem, how the issues of plastic pollution and environmental injustice goes unnoticed, and how populations around the world are impacted by the growing crisis of plastic pollution.
The filmmakers provided access to groups and communities to help spread awareness of this growing crisis and Seaside was one of the groups that was able to participate in the discussion. Seaside Sustainability provided participants of the event with a link to stream the film for free virtually and held an interactive panel discussion with experts in the field of plastic pollution. The panel consisted of four experts, all coming from different backgrounds in sustainability and environmental activism. The panelists, Erica Cirino, Sharon Kishida, Lauren Packard, and Dr. Judith Weis, all have a range of qualifications and experiences in relation to plastic pollution that helped facilitate a well-rounded discussion on the growing crisis of plastic waste.
Erica Cirino is a writer, artist, and wildlife rehabilitator who documents plastic pollution and its societal impact globally.
Sharon Kishida is a Massachusetts Municipal Assistance Coordinator for Northeast District 2, serving 39 communities assisting with waste management and recycling programs.
Lauren Packard is an attorney with the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Dr. Judith Weis is a Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences at Rutgers University whose research focuses on estuarine ecology and ecotoxicology.
Educating individuals about the environmental harm caused by plastic is the first step to combatting the overall issue of waste management and pollution. The next step is to take action. Check out The Story of Stuff’s Taking Action website for advice on how individuals can fight plastic pollution, and visit Seaside Sustainability’s website to see how we are challenging plastic pollution!
If you missed the event and would like to stream the film, it is available to stream on the Discovery Channel website or to purchase on Amazon Prime Video. The panel discussion was also recorded and uploaded to YouTube, so be sure to check that out!