Learn About Plastic Pollution

Plastic has found its way to the depths of our oceans, to remote forest paths, to the ice of the Arctic, and onto the island beaches where turtles nest.

Plastic Waste at Manila Bay Beaches. © Daniel Müller / Greenpeace

Plastic waste is an equally big problem away from the high seas, filling up landfill sites, clogging rivers, and generating pollution through open burning or incineration. Some plastics also contain and leach out hazardous chemicals, posing further risks to wildlife and people. 

Bad packaging design, a lack of infrastructure, and the absence of a means to track plastic waste all limit the effectiveness of recycling, and ensure that most plastic packaging will continue to become waste for the foreseeable future. 

In the meantime, the companies that produce fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) are opening up new markets in the Global South, pushing more products packaged in single-use and single-portion plastics. 

Join the global movement to reduce single-use plastic:

   Tell the world’s biggest plastic polluters to invest in reusable solutions
   Join the Plastic-Free Future Facebook group

   

Share:

   Watch and share the Story of Plastic movie trailer
   Download and display a poster about plastic pollution