PhiLab is happy to share this Pullback Podcast episode for our Special Edition on Philanthropy, Climate Change and the Environment, a podcast co-produced by Kristen Pue, Ph.D., and PhiLab Ontario Hub student.
The climate crisis is undoubtedly the biggest challenge of our time. But we have a second petroleum-driven crisis on our hands: the plastics crisis. Plastics are filling our landfills, leaking into our water systems, and entangling animals. And humans are literally breathing and drinking potentially harmful micro-plastics.
We treat plastics ephemerally – the average plastic bag is used for just fifteen minutes – when in reality plastic will take hundreds of years to biodegrade. For that reason, the amount of plastic that we discard is truly astounding. Although it has only been 113 years since plastic was first introduced, we have produced over 320 million metric tonnes of plastic, which is heavier than every human alive combined. And that figure is set to double by 2040.
What is the scope of the plastics crisis and how can we address it? I co-host the Pullback Podcast with Kyla Hewson. Pullback is a podcast about the ethical issues behind everyday goods. In this episode from July 2020 we talked to Sarah King, Greenpeace Canada’s Head of the Oceans and Plastics Campaign. Sarah talks about why the plastic pollution crisis matters, how we can ditch single-use plastic, and why a ban on single-use plastics is the way forward. Listen to learn how Greenpeace is acting to support a greener, more livable planet.
Want to learn more? Listen to plastic-free July episode to learn about bio-, biodegradable, and compostable plastics. Or listen to our zero waste episode for tips on reducing your waste footprint. You can find other episodes on ethical consumption, as well as the research notes for all of our shows, on our website.