Inside the Garbage of the World: The Ugly Truth About Plastic Pollution

Gr 7 Up—The documentary begins with dire warnings expressed by many experts, and a narrator further explains that industrialization, population growth, consumerism, and materialism threaten to destroy the planet. Following that, filmmaker Phillipe Carillo unpacks a sack filled with mostly plastic junk, the collection from a half-hour stroll along a California beach. Locations from Hawaii to Alaska and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch reveal the extent of plastic pollution. The plastic "soup," which is known as the "patch," is as big as half of the continental United States. In 1999, the ratio of plastic to plankton in the world's oceans was six to one. In 2009, that amount had increased to 36 to one. Annually, more than 300,000 marine animals die from consuming plastics—there are many shots of dead animals, some with their insides slit open and exposed to reveal the plastics they have consumed. The film touches on the effects in humans who consume seafood containing plastics (hormone disrupters). Viewers will certainly be impressed if not overwhelmed by the seriousness of the issue. The film reports that efforts to move policy makers have been largely disregarded. Lest viewers think the situation is entirely hopeless, the program notes that small changes can make a big difference. The salient message is to recycle, reuse, and reduce.