The Story of Plastic: Documentary Film That Uncovers Plastic Problems

April 23, 2020 – In commemoration of World Earth Day on April 22, 2020, Indonesia Zero Waste Alliance (AZWI) held a virtual community screening of a documentary titled ‘The Story of Plastic’ on April 23, 2020, at 02.00-03.35 PM. This documentary will show how plastic, from the manufacturing process to the waste that is not managed properly, ultimately has an impact on the environmental crisis and human health. This film is part of The Story of Stuff Project which is also a member of the #breakfreefromplastic movement. The Story of Plastic shows environmental activists from various parts of the world such as the United States, Belgium, Britain, India, the Philippines, and other countries fighting for a world free of plastic pollution. Two AZWI members also took part in this documentary, Tiza Mafira and Prigi Arisandi. “We often hear the statement that ‘the wrong one is not plastic, but humans’. This film will show that inherently, what is wrong is plastic: the raw materials of plastic, the design of plastics for disposable uses, the failure to recycle plastics in developed countries and the disposal of plastics in developing countries or by combustion. This film is eye-opening, informative and entertaining at the same time,” said Tiza Mafira, Executive Director of Gerakan Indonesia Diet Kantong Plastik (GIDKP).

“The plastic recycling process of washing and chopping produces liquid waste which is discharged into waterways. Recycled plastics come from packaging, household products, and personal care so that it has the potential to dissolve Endocrine Disruption Compound chemicals or hormone-disrupting compounds that will damage aquatic ecosystems and are a threat to human health. It is important that the public knows about this situation. I hope that after the screening of this documentary, more people will know that the practicalities carried by disposable plastic also bring disaster to waters and aquatic life and unconsciously we have planted toxins in our bodies. A revolutionary effort is needed to reduce the use of disposable plastics,” said Prigi Arisandi, ECOTON Executive Director.

Through the screening of this film, it is hoped that the film will give more insight to Indonesian people by looking at the plastics problem more deeply-plastic pollution is driven by the plastic industry and FMCG business models which ultimately burden the government and the community. Changes in community behavior will not be enough without a change from the industry if it continues to produce plastic. Plastic is a global problem and the role of all parties is crucial to overcoming it. “Communities and Local Governments around the world every day must struggle to deal with the increasing problem and complexity of waste, which is driven by the ever-increasing and increasingly diverse plastic waste. The Zero Waste Cities Program was developed by a number of Break Free From Plastic members to help local governments and communities overcome the daily waste crisis they face, through ecological as well as economical solutions. Even more fundamentally, this program will pave the way to making the industry accountable for the burden of handling waste that has been weighing on governments and communities all over the world,” said David Sutasurya, Executive Director of YPBB Bandung.