Most of the plastic packaging we throw away every day is not recycled at all and the reason may shock you. Judith Enck, former EPA official and founder of Beyond Plastics, exposes the truth: the plastics industry and fossil fuel companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars misleading the public, placing recycling logos on packaging that is almost never recycled. Meanwhile, microplastics are now being found in our blood, lungs, brains, and even in babies’ placentas, raising serious health concerns that we cannot ignore.

In this eye opening episode, Judith explains how plastics are accelerating climate change, disproportionately harming low income communities, and entering our bodies through microplastics. She unpacks the connection between fracking, plastic production, and greenhouse gas emissions, and discusses urgent policy fights such as New York’s proposed Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act that could help change course. Judith also shares practical steps to reduce your own plastic use, including a simple household audit, and explains why so called biodegradable plastics may be more harmful than they appear.

Book link:

https://www.beyondplastics.org/publications/problem-with-plastic-book