AudreyFilmAnnotation13+Addicted+to+Plastic

Audrey Newcomb Sustainability Problems April 22, 2010 Film Annotation: “Addicted to Plastic” Addicted to Plastic was directed by Ian Connacher and was released in 2008.

The premise of “Addicted Plastic” is that plastic is a material that is overwhelmingly abundant on earth. The focus was on accumulation of this non biodegradable product, but the toxicity of certain plastics, as well as its typical derivation from a finite resource, was mentioned as well. The film is narrated by Ian Connacher who establishes himself as an average man. He appears to be in his 20’s, which can make the film more appealing to my generation. It is also evident throughout the film that he does not have scientific/technical training. For some, this will be a source of criticism of the film, while others may welcome the substitution of an academic old guy by a goofy personality, and they may find themselves persuaded by an “average guy” who has taken an interest in an “environmental” issue. I think the narrator represents who this film was targeted for: a person who does not consider themselves an “environmentalist.” The film ended by asking the interviewed experts if they were environmentalists and they all replied “no” or “not really….” It was obvious that there was a connotation to the word “environmentalist” that these entrepreneurs and scientists did not want to be attached to. I think it’s a shame that all these experts, as well as Ian, were doing something good for the planet but did not want to admit that their work was an effort to respect the earth (an “environmentalist” effort). Connacher featured the Pacific garbage dump as well at the number of birds filled with plastics. These two clips were featuring what I would describe as an “environmental” problem, while a clip about the toxicity of plastics to humans (which was an issue minimized by the film) could have been considered “not environmental.” It is quite contradictory that the film is an environmental film, yet Connacher chose to feature his experts disassociating themselves with the title “environmentalist.” Henry Sullivan from TieTek specifically stated in the movie that “we are not environmental good guys, it’s just the material that’s best for what we do.” However, the [|TieTek website] states that “Our company’s founder, Henry Sullivan, had a vision – Preserve and Protect the Environment while creating a Viable Business.” What warrants the discontinuity of when someone will assert themself as an “environmentalist”?

Connacher related plastics to several problems that are part of the sustainability matrix. I appreciated how he related the production capability of steel developed during WWII to our current production of plastics. This connection brings to the surface the importance that plastics play in our economy. The infrastructure, the people and facilities, used for the production of steel could not go to waste. Political leaders must be especially fearful of idleness as it encourages chaos and dissent. Therefore, it is easy to understand why there may have been a hasty approval of plastics. Another factor that makes plastics a complex issue is the poor relationship between recyclers and manufacturers. A greater focus could have been placed on how to improve this issue. Connacher also revealed the implications that globalism has on plastic waste. He explained that a lot of plastic waste is sent to China and India because they will accept it at a lower price than American recyclers or waste management companies. Featuring a representative from the American Chemistry Council, was important to show that the plastics industry is talented at dodging the sustainability issues associated with the current production and use of plastic. The representative stated that “there is an old saying that plastics are derived from fossil fuels…[and that’s why people are becoming weary of plastics now].” But the majority of plastics are currently are derived from fossil fuels! Another interesting connection made by Connacher was the popularity of disposability with the women’s liberation movement. He featured a “Life” magazine article about the throw away family and how disposable products were more convenient and gave women more time (to work). Even though I had never thought of the women’s liberation movement as a façade for increasing disposability and therefore corporate production, this suggestion does agree with Shannon Hayes’ suggestion that households transformed from a unit of production to a unit of consumption under the façade of the women’s liberation movement (Hayes).

I would like to discover the testing process that plastics had to go through in order to be approved. On [|Nature Works’ website] it states that “Ingeo biopolymer has under gone extensive FDA extraction protocols to be approved as a food packaging material.” Without further investigation, this statement means little to mean, as I have heard that some of the current plastics I use to store food may have toxics in them. For example, bisphenol A, or BPA, is found in the interior of soup and vegetable cans even though scientists have found that one trillionth of a gram of BPA can be harmful to humans. I would also like to know how much funding the American Chemistry Society gets from the plastic industry. How does India achieve a 60% recycling rate while America is only at 5%? Another interesting point that I could expand on with some research is the feasibility of the idea of a biodegradable cell phone.

The American Chemistry Society representative’s stance on sustainable plastics should have been made more obvious. There were several comments made by Rob Krebs that I thought were falsities and inhibiting to a transformation to sustainable plastics. However, I took a look at the American Chemical Society’s website and there is a news release about a recycling presentation he did in 2007 for the public. The details on the presentation are limited, but it alludes that the presentation will tackle several sustainable issues of plastics. Follow the link to [|view the news release of Kreb’s presentation.] Kreb mentioned in “Addicted to Plastics” that he thought education will eliminate plastic waste, and they way he phrased it made it seem as though he thought that consumer’s were to blame for misplaced recyclables. Is Kreb’s opposed to manufacturing plastics that are easier to recycle, that biodegrade, or aren’t made from fossil fuels? Featuring Kreb’s has probed questions and created uncertainty, but his interview was not a compelling segment of “Addicted to Plastic.” Another questionable segment was watching people in third world countries make art out of plastic. Although I liked the plastic bead curtains that were made out of flip flops, I am not convinced that making bead curtains or woven plastic bag purses is a viable way to make an impact on the tons of plastics waste that is being shipped to those countries. Connacher’s trip to Lego world in Denmark was the least compelling segment of the whole movie. The only information or opinion associated with the clips of Lego World was Connacher’s musing that kids don’t throw away legos; the Lego World clips were a waste of time.

The points of intervention advocated by the film were primarily all solutions that created plastics out of renewable resources. Manufacturers are in the best position to take advantage of these solutions. For example, Nature Works just sells resin beads for manufacturers to then craft into their plastic product. There is a link on their website to view their “plastic and fiber partners” but I do not recognize any of the brands are what the brand may manufacture. [|Waste Away] creates a product out of waste called “Fluff” that can be used as a fuel, building material, or soil additive. Out of corn starch, [|Plantic] has created a diverse packaging material that can dissolve in water. Plantic provides their material to DuPont: “In 2007, Plantic entered an agreement with DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers to collaborate in the development and sale of renewably sourced polymers made from Plantic® technology” (Plantic Sheet). The facilities, research and ability to form relationships with large existing corporations, are made possible by these corporations who maintain sustainability as a principle. These points of intervention display the advantages of forming a corporation.

However, individual actions could have been mentioned in order enhance the film’s educational value. Specifically reducing individual plastic waster was not mentioned. Instead of using plastic bags for food, one can use [|wax paper bags]. Instead of plastic Tupperware, glass containers can be used. Plastic water bottles could be eliminated from one’s life simply by using an aluminum water bottle. Plastic grocery bags are easily replaced by cloth bags. My grocery bags look they are a synthetic material which probably incorporates a plastic polymer material, but “Addicted to Plastic” mentioned using [|jute bags]. Besides featuring these individual interventions, “Addicted to Plastic” could have described the portended consequences of marine life consuming so much plastic. What implications do plastic-filled jellyfish have on the marine ecosystem? There must catastrophic predictions associated with the mutilation of marine animals and their distorted environment resulting from plastics.

The soundtrack in “Addicted to Plastic” was the best out of all the sustainability movies. The most convincing image from “Addicted to Plastic” is imagining the bird’s stomachs’ filled with plastic, and even thought I hate jellyfish, I do not like the image of a clear jellyfish floating around with chunks of plastic stuck in it. I also never want to go swim at a beach and be surrounding by plastic junk. The Pacific garbage dump is not near a beach, but viewers may imagine such a beach experience based on a continuation of the current status quo for plastic disposal. I am compelled to continue using degradable materials instead of plastics when possible. If I saw my future in manufacturing, then this movie would really excite me. “Addicted to Plastic” was an enjoyable to watch, and reinforced the importance of avoiding plastic.

References:

Hayes, Shannon. "Local Idea: Radical Homemaker." //Ecolocal Living // Spring 2010: 18-20. Print.

"Plantic Sheet for Thermoforming." //Plantic//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr 2010. .