Plastic Podcast | Pollution, Policy, and People

NEW Show: Oceanography (Trailer)

🎧 New from Pine Forest Media: Oceanography From the creators of The Plastic Podcast, Oceanography is a new weekly series exploring the science, policy, and people workin

The Road to Busan and Beyond: A United Nations Treaty on Plastics

How does a global plastics treaty get negotiated? Researcher Tara Olsen joins host Clark Marchese to explain the process, actors, and competing interests behind the Unite

The Evolution of Anti-Plastic Norms

Anti-plastic norms spread when health enters the story. Global health policy researcher Leah Shipton explains how local plastic bag bans developed into an international m

Cancer Alley and Environmental Gaslighting

Cancer Alley links plastic production to public health. Dr. Kimberly Terrell and Gianna St. Julien of the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic explain research on toxic air po

Neuston: Life on an Ocean Garbage Patch

Ocean garbage patches are also living habitats. Marine ecologist Dr. Mark Gibbons introduces neuston, the diverse organisms that live on or just below the ocean surface,

Plastic and Tourism: How to Travel Better and Transform the Industry

Tourism creates more plastic waste than travelers see. Green marketing and sustainable development researcher Dr. Farzana Quoquab explains why plastic consumption often r

Ocean Hotspots: Macro and Micro Plastics

Ocean plastic hotspots are not where maps expect. Dr. Annika Jahnke and researcher Robby Rynek bring Plastic Podcast aboard a Pacific research expedition from Vancouver t

Digital Tech and the Circular Economy of Plastic across African Contexts

Digital tools are reshaping plastic recovery in Africa. Dr. Seun Kolade and Wunmi Ogunde discuss research on digitally enabled business models for a circular plastic econ

Indigenous Approaches to Plastics Pollution Governance

Plastic governance changes when Indigenous voices lead. Researcher Riley Cotter joins Plastic Podcast to discuss microplastics research, Indigenous participation, and the

The Future of Plastics and Climate Action

Can plastics ever become carbon negative? Dr. Vassilis Daioglou of the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency explains how integrated assessment models test poss

How do plastics impact coral reefs?

Plastic pollution has reached deep-sea coral reefs. Marine scientist Dr. Lucy Woodall joins Plastic Podcast to explain the ecological roles of deep-sea corals and how dis

South Pole Cross Over: Plastic in Antarctica

Microplastics have reached Antarctica’s ecosystems. In this crossover from South Pole, British Antarctic Survey researcher Dr. Clara Manno explains how plastic travels to

Plastic Psychology: A Case Study in Indonesia

Plastic behavior depends on culture, systems and trust. Environmental psychologist Dr. Anastasia Voronkova discusses the PISCES project and its research into how people i

Plastic in Context: A Lifecycle Assessment of Economy and Health

Plastic’s lifecycle reveals hidden costs and benefits. Researcher Rachel Karasik guides us through a plastic lifecycle assessment, from raw material extraction and produc

Microplastics in Soil: Agriculture and Food Security

Microplastics are accumulating in agricultural soil. Dr. Xuejun Liu and Dr. Kai Wang of China Agricultural University explain how plastic mulch, atmospheric deposition, a

Plastic and Drinking Water: Bottles, Taps, and Microplastics

Bottled water exposes plastic’s deepest tensions. In this crossover from Something in the Water, host Dr. Elena Berg speaks with anti-plastic activist Malia Elder and pla

Breaking Down Plastic: Chemical Recycling

Chemical recycling is useful, but not a cure-all. Chemical engineer Dr. Julia Vogel of Germany’s Federal Environment Agency breaks down solvolysis, pyrolysis, liquefactio

Plastic is a Climate Issue

Plastic production carries a hidden climate cost. Sustainability researcher Dr. Livia Cabernard explains how greenhouse gas emissions accumulate across the plastic lifecy

Plastic Poems: Albatross, Atomic Bombs, and Autobiography

Plastic poetry makes an invisible crisis personal. Poet and author Allison Cobb discusses Plastic: An Autobiography, a work that connects plastic with war, wildlife, indu

Thailand, Malaysia, and the Global Economy of Plastic Waste

Plastic waste crosses borders, but its burdens do not. Environmental policy researcher Dr. Danny Marks and sustainability expert Dr. Chen Hui Ling speak about the multibi