How plastic waste is poisoning the planet and what we can do about it | DW Documentary

A third of the world’s plastic waste ends up in the environment. Increased plastic consumption, poor waste management and the export of plastic waste from industrialized to emerging countries all cause plastic waste to end up in the oceans. More than half of the plastic waste that is washed down rivers and into the oceans comes from China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Yet much of it originates in industrialized countries. Scientists from all over the world warn of the harmful effects of plastics on health. Chemical substances from plastic packaging end up in our food every day. Many of these substances lead to growth and hormone disorders, as well as illnesses like cancer. The film shows shocking images from Asia, including the “plastic village“ of Bangun in Indonesia. A lot of plastic waste from western industrialized countries ends up here. Environmental experts, politicians and scientists also weigh in: is humanity heading towards an abyss, a collect