Plastic waste – a global problem

The campaign against carrier bags serves a purpose over and above just stopping what is a massive cause of waste. It also serves to introduce people to the wider issues of how things are made, why they end up being used in the first place and why they cannot be recycled. Plastic of all kinds are a huge problem when it comes to waste – almost everything that has ever been made out of plastic is still on the planet somewhere – plastic does not go away. Want to see how much of a problem plastic waste is, have a look at Message in the Waves a film from the BBC Natural History Unit looking at some of the environmental challenges facing the people and wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands. In the words of one islander: ��?There are many messages in the waves but the one we learned in Hawai‘i that we feel requires immediate attention is that of global plastic pollution.��?
See clips from the film here