Recycling Won't Eradicate Plastic Pollution

Ecologist Matt Wilkins and Environmental Sociologist Rebecca Altman, discuss the evolution of plastic in the environment, the problems it’s causing today and what we can do about it. Wilkins will discuss his new article in Scientific American, “More Recycling Won't Solve Plastic Pollution: It’s a lie that wasteful consumers cause the problem and that changing our individual habits can fix it.” Wilkins goes into the corporate greenwashing of the Keep America Beautiful campaign, which has deep historical roots shifting the environmental responsibility from plastic producers to the individual, and their legacy of fighting against policies that hold producers accountable. Altman, the daughter of a plastic producer, places the petro-chemical industry in context, explains just how micro-plastics are seeping into the food chain, and debunks some common myths about plastic, recycling, and sustainability. They will also talk about the recent movement to eliminate plastic drinking straws and other examples of the everyday struggle of trying to minimize our ecological footprint. 

This segment is guest hosted by DW Gibson.