Name: The economic injustice of plastic
Uploaded: 2011-01-19T17:45:00Z
Duration: 12 min 32 s
Description: When we throw away our plastic trash, where does it go? In this hard-hitting talk, Van Jones shows us how our throwaway culture hits poor people and poor countries "first and worst," with consequences we all share no matter where we live. He offers some ways to reclaim our planet from plastic garbage.

When we throw away our plastic trash, where does it go? In this hard-hitting talk, Van Jones shows us how our throwaway culture hits poor people and poor countries "first and worst," with consequences we all share no matter where we live. He offers some ways to reclaim our planet from plastic garbage.

The economic injustice of plastic

The global addiction to disposable plastic harms the poorest communities at every stage, from production to disposal. In places like Cancer Alley, people face shortened lives because of toxins from plastic manufacturing. Even recycling often sends plastic waste overseas, where it is incinerated and releases deadly chemicals. The throwaway mentality not only pollutes the environment but also fuels social injustice, tying the fate of the planet to the fate of its most vulnerable.