The Plastic Problem

NAWAZ: THE OCEANS ARE SWIMMING IN IT.

RIVERS ARE CHOKED WITH IT.

COASTLINES ARE COLLECTING IT.

LANDFILLS ARE CLOGGED WITH IT.

OUR TRASH BAGS ARE FILLED WITH IT.

AND IT'S EVEN FLOATING IN THE AIR WE BREATHE.

GEYER: IMAGINE SPREADING OUT 9 BILLION METRIC TONS EVENLY, WE COULD COVER AN AREA THE SIZE OF ARGENTINA OR CALIFORNIA SIX TIMES OVER.

NAWAZ: IT'S PLASTIC: THE MATERIAL WE CAN'T SEEM TO LIVE WITHOUT, THAT ALSO LASTS LONGER THAN A LIFETIME.

PLASTIC CAN TAKE HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO BREAK DOWN, AND EVEN THEN ONLY INTO MICRO PARTICLES.

IT'S HURTING ANIMALS, IT'S IN OUR FOOD CHAIN, PLASTIC, IS EVERYWHERE.

(THEME MUSIC PLAYS) NAWAZ: FOR MORE THAN A YEAR MY "PBS NEWSHOUR" COLLEAGUES AND I TRAVELED FAR AND WIDE, REPORTING ON WHAT EXPERTS CALL ONE OF THE LARGEST ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS TO OUR PLANET.

IN THIS SPECIAL REPORT, WE GO FARTHER.

BROWN: PLASTIC POLLUTION IS BECOMING A WORLDWIDE CRISIS... NAWAZ: AND DIG DEEPER.

SO HOW IS THAT REALLY HELPING THE PROBLEM?

TO FIGURE OUT IF AND HOW WE CAN FIX OUR PLASTIC PROBLEM.

POPA: I DON'T THINK WE CAN KEEP ON LIVING, AND MOVING FORWARD THE WAY THAT WE HAVE.

NAWAZ: I SPENT TIME WITH THE POPA FAMILY IN TORONTO, CANADA WHO ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PLASTIC PURGE.

MOM, VICKY, MADE A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION TO CONSUME LESS, AND RE-USE MORE.

SHE'S NOW WORKING TO GET THE ENTIRE FAMILY ON BOARD.

BELLA: PLASTIC GETS INTO THE OCEAN AND THEN FISHIES EAT IT AND THEN THEY GET SICK.

POPA: WE'RE SORT OF TELLING OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AS WELL THAT WE WANT TO LIVE THIS LIFESTYLE.

WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE OUR IMPACT ON THE PLANET.

WE'RE TRYING NOT TO ACCEPT PACKAGING AND PLASTIC AND BRINGING INTO OUR HOUSEHOLD AND THEY, THEY DO ACTUALLY LISTEN.

AND SO I NOTICE A CHANGE.

NAWAZ: BUT THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY FROM THE POPA FAMILY, ON ONE OF THE MOST REMOTE ISLANDS IN THE WORLD, THE PLASTIC PROBLEM IS ONLY GETTING WORSE.

THIS IS EASTER ISLAND, OR RAPA NUI, AS LOCALS CALL IT.

SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC, ITS CLOSEST NEIGHBOR IS MORE THAN 1,000 MILES AWAY.

ALL ALONG THE ROCKY COASTLINE CHUNKS OF PLASTIC ARE EASY TO SPOT.

NOT SO EASY TO SPOT, THE MICROPLASTIC HIDING IN THE SAND, AS MY NEWSHOUR COLLEAGUE JEFFREY BROWN FOUND.

MAN: THIS IS MICROPLASTIC.

THIS IS A ROCK.

THIS IS THE PLASTIC.

NAWAZ: FOR CLEAN-UP CREWS HERE, IT'S A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE.

MAN: MAYBE IF CLEAN ALL DAY, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.

BROWN: CLEANING ALL DAY IS NOT ENOUGH.

MAN: IT'S NOT ENOUGH.

BECAUSE OF THE CENTER OF THE PLASTIC IS NOT HERE, IT'S THERE.

IT'S HORRIFIC.

NAWAZ: THE TRASH IS MOSTLY COMING FROM WHAT'S CALLED THE SOUTH PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH, AN ENORMOUS SWIRLING VORTEX OF MARINE DEBRIS, SWEPT UP IN OCEAN CURRENTS, AND COLLECTED INTO A TRASH MASS ONE AND A HALF TIMES THE SIZE OF TEXAS.

THAT PATCH WAS DISCOVERED IN 2017, 20 YEARS AFTER SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED THE GREAT PACIFIC PATCH, TWO SWIRLING MASSES OF DEBRIS, THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF FRANCE.

ON THE SHORES OF EASTER ISLAND, ANA MARIA GUTIERREZ DOES WHAT SHE CAN TO ORGANIZE BEACH CLEANS.

GUTIERREZ: IT'S DEPRESSING, BECAUSE YOU FIND ALL KINDS OF PLASTICS, FROM BUOYS TO SHOES, EVEN CAR PARTS, EVERYTHING.

IT'S LIKE A DUMP BUT IN THE OCEAN.

IT JUST ARRIVES.

BUT THE WORST IS THAT BECAUSE THE WAVES HIT THE COAST, THE BIGGER PLASTICS GET SMALLER AND SMALLER AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THEM BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MOVE VERY BIG ROCKS ALONG THE COAST AND THE TRASH JUST GETS INSERTED IN THEM.

AND IT'S BECOMING PART OF NATURE.

PAOA: THE WORLD IS TRASHING THE, THE OCEAN.

AND THAT TRASH, WE ARE RECEIVING IT IN OUR COASTS, IN RAPA NUI.

IT'S LIKE SOMEONE PUTTING A GUN IN YOUR HEAD AND TELLING YOU, YOU MUST RECEIVE THAT.

NAWAZ: PEDRO EDMUNDS PAOA IS THE LONGTIME MAYOR OF HANGA ROA, EASTER ISLAND'S ONE TOWN.

HE SAYS OVER THE YEARS, THE PLASTIC PROBLEM HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE.

PAOA: IT'S COMING FROM EVERYWHERE.

IT'S, IT'S TOO MUCH.

EVERY YEAR IS MORE AND MORE.

NAWAZ: AND THOSE TIDES OF PLASTIC AREN'T JUST A BLIGHT ON THE LANDSCAPE, THEY'RE HURTING WILDLIFE AROUND THE WORLD.

ACCORDING TO ONE STUDY, IF CURRENT PRODUCTION TRENDS CONTINUE, BY THE YEAR 2050 THERE WILL BE MORE PLASTIC THAN FISH IN OUR OCEANS.

PHEASEY: WHEN THEY COME UP TO THE NEST... NAWAZ: IN COSTA RICA, MY COLLEAGUE JOHN YANG LEARNED HOW PLASTIC AFFECTS AN ALREADY ENDANGERED SPECIES.

YANG: THIS IS STUFF YOU'VE JUST PICKED UP ON THE BEACH HERE.

PHEASEY: YES, I LITERALLY JUST FOUND THIS HERE, YEA.

THIS IS A REALLY CLEAN BEACH.

PLASTIC GETS INTO THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT, IT BREAKS DOWN INTO TINY LITTLE PIECES CALLED MICROPLASTICS, AND ANYTHING THAT EATS IN THE OCEAN WILL INADVERTENTLY EAT THE PLASTIC, AND THAT'S KILLING TURTLES.

UP IN FLORIDA, THEY'VE GOT A HOSPITAL NOW, WHERE WHEN A TURTLE COMES IN THEY NO LONGER SAY, "DOES THE TURTLE HAVE A PLASTIC IN ITS BELLY?"

THEY NOW SAY, "HOW MUCH PLASTIC IS IN THE TURTLE?"

WOMAN: OH MY GOD.

NAWAZ: IN 2015, A MARINE BIOLOGIST'S VIDEO WENT VIRAL, DOCUMENTING THE PAINFUL PROCESS AS SHE REMOVED A PLASTIC STRAW STUCK IN A SEA TURTLE'S NOSE.

WOMAN: OH MAN.

PHEASEY: WHAT HAPPENS IS THE TURTLE COMES UP TO BREATHE AND INHALES THE STRAW AND THEN THEY GET LODGED IN THEIR FACES.

AND THIS IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE COMMON, IT'S, IT'S NOT A ONE OFF ANYMORE.

NAWAZ: IN THE PHILIPPINES, A WHALE WASHED ASHORE IN 2019 WITH NEARLY 90 POUNDS OF PLASTIC IN ITS STOMACH.

SEALS ARE GETTING CAUGHT IN FISHING NETS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC.

THEY'RE CALLED "“GHOSTNETS"”, ABANDONED BY THE FISHING INDUSTRY AND AN ESTIMATED 640,000 TONS OF THEM ARE FLOATING IN THE OCEAN, THAT'S 10% OF ALL KNOWN OCEAN PLASTIC.

AND IT'S NOT JUST TURTLES AND SEALS THAT ARE AT RISK.

SCIENTISTS SAY NEARLY EVERY SEA BIRD NOW EATS PLASTIC TRASH, MISTAKING IT FOR FISH.

EVEN HERE, THE MARIANA TRENCH, IN THE DEEPEST PART OF THE OCEAN, PLASTIC HAS FOUND ITS WAY MORE THAN 6 AND A HALF MILES DOWN.

OCEANS GET A LOT OF ATTENTION BUT EXPERTS SAY THE PROBLEM IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THAT INCLUDING HERE, THE LARGEST FRESHWATER SYSTEM IN THE WORLD.

ON THE SHORES OF LAKE ONTARIO, ONE OF THE FIVE GREAT LAKES, WE COMBED THE WATER'S EDGE FOR PLASTIC WITH ECOLOGIST CHELSEA ROCHMAN.

ROCHMAN: HERE'S SOME PLASTIC, HERE'S SOME PLASTIC, HERE'S SOME PLASTIC.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK VERY HARD TO FIND IT.

NAWAZ: ON SOME BEACHES WE FOUND BIG CHUNKS OF PLASTIC.

ALONG ANOTHER PART OF THE SHORE, MICROPLASTICS.

ROCHMAN: THE THING THAT STICKS OUT TO ME THE MOST HERE ARE ALL OF THESE KIND OF PERFECTLY SPHERICAL LITTLE PELLETS.

NAWAZ: YEAH.

WHAT ARE THOSE?

I NOTICED THOSE TOO.

THEY'RE DIFFERENT COLORS, RIGHT?

ROCHMAN: YEAH, THEY'RE DIFFERENT COLORS, THESE ARE PRE-PRODUCTION PELLETS.

THERE'S A LOT OF PLASTIC PRODUCTION FACILITIES JUST NORTH OF HERE AND IN TORONTO IN GENERAL.

AND SO WE, WHAT WE SEE HERE IS BASICALLY SPILLAGE.

THESE THINGS ARE LIGHTWEIGHT.

THEY MAKE A TON OF THEM, WHEN THEY'RE MOVING THEM AROUND ON THE SHIPPING DOCK OR IN THE FACILITY OR TRANSPORTING THEM.

THEY BLOW AWAY EASILY.

THEY CAN END UP SPILLING ON THE DOCK.

THEY GO DOWN THE DRAIN AND THEY END UP HERE.

OKAY, SO THIS IS ALL RINSED OUT NOW.

NAWAZ: ROCHMAN USES A SIEVE TO COLLECT SAMPLES OF THE MICROPLASTICS, THEN TAKES THEM TO HER LAB TO STUDY THEIR MAKEUP.

ROCHMAN: WHAT HAPPENS IS OVER TIME THE SUN DEGRADES THE BIGGER THINGS INTO SMALLER AND SMALLER PIECES.

SO THIS IS LIKE ONE STAGE IN THE BREAKING DOWN AND THEN IF WE LOOK IN HERE YOU CAN SEE SOME BITS OF FRAGMENTS THAT AREN'T PERFECT PELLETS, YOU KNOW THAT ARE FURTHER DOWN THE PROCESS.

SO THEY JUST BREAK DOWN SMALLER AND SMALLER AND SMALLER UNTIL YOU HAVE A GREATER QUANTITY OF SMALLER PIECES OF PLASTIC.

NAWAZ: BUT THE POINT IS THEY NEVER GO AWAY.

ROCHMAN: YEAH, LIKE NEVER IS A STRONG WORD, BUT THE RATE AT WHICH THEY BREAK DOWN IS INCREDIBLY SLOW.

SO EVERY PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT'S EVER BEEN PRODUCED UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING WE DON'T UNDERSTAND YET IS LIKELY STILL HERE TODAY IN SOME FORM.

NAWAZ: ROCHMAN BEGAN HER CAREER STUDYING THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH BUT A MOVE TO TEACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PUT THE GREAT LAKES IN HER BACKYARD.

ROCHMAN: WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE OCEAN IT'S THIS DILUTE BODY OF WATER.

THE OCEANS ARE VAST.

LAKES, WHILE THIS IS VAST, ARE QUITE SMALL IN COMPARISON.

CITIES SURROUNDING IT ARE BRINGING TRASH INTO THE LAKE AND IT'S CONCENTRATING IN THERE AND NOT DILUTING INTO A DIFFERENT LOCATION AT LEAST NOT AT ANY PACE YOU KNOW WE CAN UNDERSTAND.

NAWAZ: SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE PLASTIC IN A LAKE IS MORE DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT?

ROCHMAN: WE SAMPLE FISH FROM THE OCEAN WE MIGHT FIND PLASTIC IN ONE IN FOUR FISH, ONE IN TEN FISH.

HERE MY STUDENTS SAMPLE FISH FROM THIS LAKE THEY FIND IT IN EVERY SINGLE FISH THAT THEY SAMPLE.

NAWAZ: EVERY SINGLE FISH IS COMING FROM THIS LAKE?

ROCHMAN: EVERY FISH THAT WE SAMPLE FROM LAKE ONTARIO HAS AT LEAST ONE PIECE OF MICROPLASTIC IN ITS STOMACH WHICH TO ME SHOCKS ME, RIGHT?

AND I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS.

NAWAZ: AND THAT MEANS FISH AREN'T THE ONLY ONES EATING PLASTIC.

IF HUMANS ARE EATING FISH, ARE WE INGESTING PLASTIC TOO?

PART OF ROCHMAN'S RESEARCH IS TRYING TO ANSWER THAT, BY LOOKING INSIDE THE FISH.

WE KNOW THERE'S PLASTIC IN THE WATER.

ROCHMAN: YES.

NAWAZ: WE KNOW THAT THE FISH EAT THE PLASTIC.

ROCHMAN: YES.

NAWAZ: WE HAVE NO IDEA IF WHEN WE EAT THE FISH WE'RE ALSO EATING PLASTIC.

AND HOW MUCH DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT EFFECT IT HAS ON US WHEN WE EAT IT?

ROCHMAN: SO ON HUMANS, WE KNOW VERY LITTLE.

THERE ARE SOME RESEARCHERS STARTING TO GET INTO THIS FIELD.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IN OUR LAB IS HOW DOES PLASTIC MOVE THROUGH A FOOD WEB?

IS IT JUST IN THE GUT CONTENT OF ANIMALS AND I'M ONLY EXPOSED WHEN I EAT THE GUT, LIKE AN OYSTER OR MUSSEL, OR IS IT TRANSFERRING OUT OF THE GUT INTO OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY AND ACTUALLY MOVING UP THE FOOD CHAIN THE WAY LIKE A CHEMICAL CONTAMINANT DOES WHICH STILL TRYING TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT PART.

IT'S KINDA WEIRD, LIKE, THIS IS BLACK.

NAWAZ: SO CAN I ASK YOU, KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW, DO YOU STILL EAT FISH?

ROCHMAN: I DO EAT FISH.

NAWAZ: YOU DO.

ROCHMAN: I DO.

BECAUSE.

BECAUSE WE STILL DON'T KNOW A TON OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTH EFFECTS.

THE OTHER REASON I STILL EAT FISH IS BECAUSE YES, THEY EAT PLASTIC.

BUT LIKE I KNOW IT'S IN MY DRINKING WATER AND I KNOW IT'S IN THE AIR LIKE IN THE DUST SO IF I EAT A PIECE OF FISH IT'S NOT THAT DIFFERENT.

NAWAZ: SO PLASTIC IS IN THE FISH, IT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN, IT'S EVEN ON YOUR PLATE, WHERE ISN'T IT?

LOOK, MORE THAN NINE BILLION METRIC TONS OF PLASTIC HAVE BEEN PRODUCED SINCE 1950, THAT'S THE WEIGHT EQUIVALENT OF 27,000 EMPIRE STATE BUILDINGS OR MORE THAN A BILLION ELEPHANTS.

SO WHEN AND HOW DID OUR ADDICTION TO PLASTIC FIRST BEGIN?

MAN: WHAT CAN BE MADE WITH PLASTICS?

COSMETIC CONTAINERS AND COCKPIT HOUSINGS... NAWAZ: PLASTIC WAS A NEW MATERIAL THAT TRANSFORMED THE CONSUMER LANDSCAPE.

WHEN LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION BEGAN AFTER WORLD WAR II, THE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH SEEMED UNLIMITED.

MAN: THIS PARATROOPER FLOATING DOWN TO WELCOME MOTHER EARTH IS DEPENDING ON PLASTICS TO GET HIM THERE SAFELY.

NAWAZ: THE DURABLE MATERIAL DID AND DOES MAKE SOME ASPECTS OF LIFE SAFER.

WOMAN: THEY TAKE BETTER CARE OF LITTLE CUTS AND SCRATCHES.

NAWAZ: NOT TO MENTION, MORE CONVENIENT... AND ULTIMATELY, OVER DECADES OF USE, A DISPOSABLE WAY OF LIVING EVOLVED.

MAN: IT'S TOUGH AND LIGHT.

NAWAZ: ITS FUTURE WAS SO LIMITLESS THAT BY 1967 DUSTIN HOFFMAN RECEIVED THIS CAREER ADVICE IN THE FILM "“THE GRADUATE"”.

MAN: I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE WORD TO YOU.

JUST ONE WORD.

HOFFMAN: YES, SIR.

MAN: ARE YOU LISTENING?

HOFFMAN: YES I AM.

MAN: PLASTICS.

HOFFMAN: EXACTLY HOW DO YOU MEAN?

MAN: THERE'S A GREAT FUTURE IN PLASTICS.

THINK ABOUT IT.

NAWAZ: PLASTIC HAS REVOLUTIONIZED THE MEDICAL FIELD, DISPOSABLE SYRINGES HELP REDUCE DISEASE TRANSMISSION.

PROSTHETIC LIMBS MAKE LIFE EASIER AND MORE COMFORTABLE FOR AMPUTEES.

IN GROCERY STORES, PLASTIC HELPS REDUCE FOOD WASTE BY KEEPING FOODS FRESHER AND DON'T FORGET, MOBILE PHONES HAVE MANY PLASTIC PARTS.

OVER TIME, THE GLOBAL APPETITE FOR PLASTIC HAS ONLY GROWN.

GEYER: IT'S VERY CHEAP TO PRODUCE.

IT'S VERY, VERY USEFUL, VERY VERSATILE.

SO WE, WE JUST MAKE A LOT OF IT.

NAWAZ: ROLAND GEYER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA, IS AN INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGIST WHO QUANTIFIED THE PROBLEM.

HE SAYS, OF ALL THAT PLASTIC, AN ESTIMATED 60% STILL EXISTS ON EARTH TODAY.

GEYER: OF THE NINE BILLION METRIC TONS THAT HUMANKIND EVER PRODUCED MAYBE 20 TO 30% IS STILL IN USE.

AND THE REST, SO THAT'S ABOUT SIX, SIX AND A HALF BILLION METRIC TONS HAS BECOME WASTE.

NAWAZ: AND IT'S ENDED UP IN LANDFILLS... GEYER: IT'S ENDED UP EITHER IN LANDFILLS, IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

A TINY FRACTION WAS RECYCLED AND THEN AN EQUALLY SMALL FRACTION WAS INCINERATED.

NAWAZ: IN 1950, WORLD PRODUCTION OF PLASTIC WAS A MERE TWO MILLION TONS A YEAR.

SINCE THEN, ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF PLASTIC HAS INCREASED BY NEARLY 200 TIMES, JUMPING TO 350 MILLION TONS A YEAR.

GEYER: NOW WE PRODUCE MORE PLASTIC THAN MOST MANMADE MATERIALS.

EVERY YEAR WE MAKE SIX TIMES MORE PLASTIC THAN ALUMINUM, WE MAKE 20 TIMES MORE PLASTIC THAN COPPER.

AND EVEN METALS CORRODE AND ERODE SO THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY SO, GO BACK TO THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

A PLASTIC JUST STAYS PLASTIC.

NAWAZ: SO ALL THE REASONS WE LIKE IT, AND VALUE IT AND WANT TO USE IT, THOSE ARE ALL THE REASONS THAT MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO GET RID OF.

GEYER: I THINK YOU, YOU, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

YEAH, SOME OF THESE WONDERFUL PROPERTIES THAT IT'S SO DURABLE BECOMES A PROBLEM WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO GET RID OF IT.

THEN SUDDENLY WE DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S SO DURABLE.

NAWAZ: AS OUR DEPENDENCE ON THIS DURABLE NEW MATERIAL HAS GROWN, SO HAVE THE PILES OF STUFF IN OUR LANDFILLS.

BUT IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS.

AMERICANS WERE AT ONE TIME VERY GOOD AT SAVING AND REUSING MATERIALS.

IN COLONIAL TIMES THE MOTTO WAS "“WASTE NOT, WANT NOT.

"” DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, "“USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT, MAKE IT DO, OR DO WITHOUT.

"” IN THE THROES OF WORLD WAR II, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT RAN CAMPAIGNS TO GET CITIZENS TO SAVE AND REUSE EVERYTHING FROM SCRAP METAL TO RUBBER, GASOLINE, PAPER AND EVEN ANIMAL FAT.

MAN: PEOPLE WHO BUY IN LARGE QUANTITIES AND TRUCK IT AWAY IN THEIR CARS.

NAWAZ: AND THEN CAME THE ECONOMIC BOOM YEARS, COINCIDING WITH THE RISE OF PLASTIC.

WOMAN: IT'S THE CRYSTAL CLEAR PLASTIC THAT LETS YOU SEE EVERYTHING YOU WRAP.

NAWAZ: AND DISPOSABLE LIFESTYLES BECAME FASHIONABLE.

WOMAN: CLINGS LIKE MAGIC.

NAWAZ: IT WAS EVEN FEATURED IN LIFE MAGAZINE IN 1955 WITH THE CELEBRATORY HEADLINE, "“THROWAWAY LIVING"”.

SUSIE: DADDY, YOU FORGOT.

EVERY LITTER BIT HURTS.

NAWAZ: ALSO IN THE 1950'S, THE FORMATION OF THE "“KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL"” COALITION.

USING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS STARRING A "“SUSIE SPOTLESS"” CHARACTER, THE COALITION AIMED TO GET PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP POLLUTION.

♪ SUSIE: PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T BE A LITTER BUG '‘CAUSE EVERY ♪ ♪ LITTER BIT HURTS.

♪♪ NAWAZ: DECADES LATER, IN 1971, IT WAS A "“KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL"” AD THAT SHOOK THE AMERICAN CONSCIENCE... MAN: PEOPLE STARTED POLLUTION.

PEOPLE CAN STOP IT.

NAWAZ: THE "“KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL"” COALITION WAS FOUNDED AND FUNDED IN LARGE PART BY THE BEVERAGE AND PACKAGING INDUSTRIES, THE SAME COMPANIES PRODUCING MUCH OF AMERICA'S PLASTIC.

SINCE THAT CAMPAIGN, WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, HAVE BEEN SORTING, WEEDING OUT AND SORTING SOME MORE, ALL WITH A CERTAIN SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY.

EVERY DAY AN ESTIMATED 750 TONS OF MATERIAL FLOW THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

AND EVERY STOP ALONG THE WAY, JUST LIKE THIS ONE IS DESIGNED TO REMOVE ONE MORE MATERIAL.

FOR AN ULTRA-DURABLE MATERIAL LIKE PLASTIC, THE GOAL OF THIS SYSTEM WAS TO GET US TO USE LESS, BY RE-USING WHAT WE'D ALREADY MADE.

BUT THAT REQUIRES PEOPLE BUY INTO AND PARTICIPATE IN THE SYSTEM.

GEYER: THE GLOBAL RECYCLING RATE WE ESTIMATE AS 9%.

SO IT'S VERY, VERY POOR AND IT HASN'T EVEN IMPROVED ALL THAT MUCH.

THE CURRENT RECYCLING RATE IN THE U.S. IS BARELY 10%.

BUT EVEN IN EUROPE IT'S, IT'S LIKE 30%.

I WOULD SAY THAT THE WAY WE RECYCLE PLASTIC AT THE MOMENT IS NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION.

I WOULD EVEN GO AS FAR AS SAYING IT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.

NAWAZ: RECYCLING IS PART OF THE PROBLEM... GEYER: YEAH.

NAWAZ: WHY IS THAT?

GEYER: SO EVEN RECYCLED MATERIAL YOU CAN'T CYCLE IT FOREVER.

EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE TO DISPOSE OF IT.

SO THE ONLY WAY TO REDUCE DISPOSAL IS MAKE LESS PLASTIC AND THAT'S THE ONLY BENEFIT OF RECYCLING.

NAWAZ: ONE REASON, THE SHEER VOLUME OF WASTE CREATED AROUND THE WORLD.

AMERICANS ALONE CREATE FOUR AND A HALF POUNDS OF TRASH, PER PERSON, PER DAY.

AS A COUNTRY, WE GENERATE A THIRD OF ALL WASTE IN THE WORLD.

IN A BEST CASE SCENARIO, WE'D RECYCLE AS MUCH OF THAT AS POSSIBLE.

MY COLLEAGUE PAUL SOLMAN MET A WOMAN IN MASSACHUSETTS WHO IS A RECYCLING SUPERSTAR.

SINGH: THIS IS TWO WEEKS' WORTH OF TRASH.

SOLMAN: THAT'S TWO WEEKS?

SINGH: AND UH PLASTICS, THESE ARE FLOWER SLEEVES.

I TRY ALWAYS TO TELL THEM I DON'T NEED A FLOWER SLEEVE WHEN YOU BUY FLOWERS, BUT SOMETIMES I'M NOT QUICK ENOUGH.

I COMPOST TEA BAGS.

SO THIS IS THE STRING AND BECAUSE IT HAS A STAPLE, SO IT SHOULDN'T GO INTO THE COMPOST.

SOLMAN: REALLY?

SINGH: THE TEA BAGS.

YES, I'M VERY ANAL ABOUT THIS.

SOLMAN: SO ARE YOU KIND OF A RECYCLING FANATIC?

SINGH: I WISH THERE WAS A WORD LIKE OCD FOR RECYCLING.

NAWAZ: NOT EVERYONE IS AS VIGILANT AS MEERA SINGH... HARVEY: PEOPLE TODAY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR TRASH OR THEIR RECYCLABLES.

THEY PUT IT OUT AT THE CURB, A TRUCK COMES ALONG, THROWS IT IN THE BACK, AND IT DISAPPEARS, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO EVER THINK ABOUT IT AGAIN.

460 TONS AGAIN TODAY, MAN OH MAN.

NAWAZ: BEN HARVEY RUNS A RECYCLING PLANT JUST OUTSIDE OF BOSTON.

HARVEY: WHEN WE COLLECT IT, WE'VE GOT TO THINK ABOUT WHERE ARE GOING TO GO TO DISPOSE OF THAT MATERIAL.

IS IT GOING TO GO TO A LANDFILL, IS IT GOING TO GO TO WASTE AND ENERGY?

NAWAZ: THE PROCESS IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN SIMPLY DROPPING A BOTTLE INTO THE RIGHT BIN.

THERE ARE SEVEN TYPES OF PLASTIC AND NOT EVERY TYPE CAN BE REUSED.

HARVEY: THE PLASTICS THAT WE SEE COME THROUGH HERE, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE GOT THE LITTLE RECYCLING LOGO ON THE BOTTOM OF IT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S A MARKET FOR THAT MATERIAL, THAT WE'VE GOT THAT WE CAN RECYCLE THAT.

NAWAZ: FOR A LONG TIME HARVEY SENT BOSTON'S PLASTIC TO CHINA, UNTIL 2018, IT HAD THE CORNER ON THE MARKET.

AND THAT'S WHERE MANY RECYCLING FACILITIES IN THE U.S.

SENT THEIR PLASTIC TOO.

GREG COOPER LEADS RECYCLING EFFORTS FOR THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS.

COOPER: ABOUT 20-30 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE STARTING TO RAMP UP OUR RECYCLING PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY I THINK CHINA SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE SOME OF THE MATERIALS, THE RAW MATERIALS, AND THE COMMODITIES THAT WE WERE PRODUCING THROUGH RECYCLING.

NAWAZ: BUT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND A REPUTATION MAKEOVER PUT AN END TO THAT.

IN MARCH OF 2018, CHINA STOPPED BUYING PLASTIC RECYCLABLES COMPLETELY IN AN OPERATION DUBBED "“NATIONAL SWORD"”, REFUSING TO BE THE WORLD'S DUMPING GROUND.

GALARDI: RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT MOVING ANY MATERIAL TO CHINA.

VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE INTO CHINA RIGHT NOW.

NAWAZ: SO, ALL THAT MATERIAL STARTED STACKING UP IN MARC GALARDI'S "“SAVE THAT STUFF"” WAREHOUSE... GALARDI: INVENTORY IS A LITTLE HIGH.

IT DOES COME IN WAVES, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO SELL MULTIPLE LOADS AT A TIME.

SO WHEN WE GET A SHIPMENT WE'LL SHIP OUT THREE OR FOUR LOADS, SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO PRICE ADJUSTMENTS THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY HURTING OUR BOTTOM LINE.

WE CAN'T DO THE ADJUSTMENTS QUICK ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGING MARKETS.

NAWAZ: WITH PRICES FOR PLASTIC TANKING AND GLOBAL MARKETS SHIFTING, AS MUCH AS HALF OF AMERICA'S PLASTIC WASTE WAS, AND IS, STUCK IN THE U.S., STOCKPILED IN WAREHOUSES, DISPOSED OF IN LANDFILLS OR INCINERATED.

AND THE PLASTIC THAT WAS STILL BEING SHIPPED OVERSEAS STARTED FLOWING TO NEW COUNTRIES; THIS TIME IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

MALAYSIA QUICKLY TOOK UP THE MANTLE AS THE WORLD'S LEADING IMPORTER OF PLASTIC SCRAP.

HERE IN IPOH, THAT MEANT MOUNTAINS OF PLASTIC PILED UP AT THE EDGE OF THE JUNGLE AS PLASTIC WASTE INUNDATED RECYCLING PLANTS.

CECH: WE ARE STANDING HERE NEXT TO A PILE OF ABOUT 1500 TONS.

NAWAZ: THIS MALAYSIAN SITE IS RUN BY PAVEL CECH WITH A GOVERNMENT LICENSE.

HERE, THE PLASTIC WASTE GOES INTO A KILN TO HELP IN THE PRODUCTION OF CEMENT.

CECH: THE FIRST WASTE STARTED COMING HERE MID LAST YEAR AND THAT WAS AT THE TIME OF THE BOOM OF THE, OF THE, OF THE IMPORTS.

NAWAZ: SINCE THEN, THE PILES OF PLASTIC WASTE HAVE SHRUNK BUT THE PROPORTION OF PLASTIC WASTE COMING FROM WESTERN NATIONS HASN'T.

CECH: HERE YOU HAVE POST-CONSUMER CAKE OR PANCAKE FROM GERMANY.

CAN YOU MAKE ANYTHING OUT OF THAT?

YEA, USDA ORGANIC.

SO HERE YOU HAVE SOME, SOME ORGANIC AMERICAN VEGETABLE PACKAGING.

HERE WE HAVE A PEPSI BOTTLE WITH NO LOCAL PRINTING.

NAWAZ: CECH SEES REAL VALUE IN THE GLOBAL TRADE IN RECYCLABLE COMMODITIES BUT NOT IN PLASTIC SCRAP.

CECH: MIXED WASTE, NON-RECYCLABLE WASTE, DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT, SHOULD NOT BE TRADED.

IT HAS TO BE A PRODUCT, IT HAS TO BE A RAW MATERIAL.

BUT IT MUST NOT BE A MIXED NON-RECYCLABLE LIABILITY OF ONE COUNTRY TO BE PASSED ON TO ANOTHER COUNTRY.

BECAUSE THEN YOU SEE THE GREED, THEN YOU SEE THAT FOR MONEY PEOPLE ARE READY TO DO BAD THINGS.

NAWAZ: CECH'S SITE IS LEGAL.

BUT ILLEGAL SITES, LIKE THIS ONE WE SECRETLY FILMED, HAVE BEEN POPPING UP ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TURN A PROFIT GROWS.

ONE WAY TO GET RID OF THE PLASTIC WASTE: BURN IT.

THAT ILLEGAL ACTIVITY SPURRED CITIZEN ACTIVISTS TO TAKE ACTION.

THEY USED DRONES TO FIND THE WORST OFFENDERS, THEN LOBBIED THE GOVERNMENT FOR CHANGE.

AS THE INFLUX OF PLASTIC WASTE GREW, THE PRIME MINISTER TOOK NOTICE.

MOHAMAD: WE CANNOT ACCEPT THAT KIND OF IDEA THAT WASTE FROM RICH COUNTRIES SHOULD BE SENT TO POOR COUNTRIES.

WE DON'T NEED YOUR WASTE BECAUSE OUR OWN WASTE IS ENOUGH TO GIVE US PROBLEMS.

NAWAZ: BEFORE LONG, IN OCTOBER OF 2018, MALAYSIA, LIKE CHINA BEFORE IT, BANNED NEW IMPORTS OF PLASTIC WASTE.

MALAYSIAN OFFICIALS TURNED AWAY ARRIVING SHIPPING CONTAINERS FILLED WITH PLASTIC FROM WESTERN NATIONS THAT WERE BEING SMUGGLED IN, DESTINED FOR ILLEGAL SITES.

IN FRONT OF A CROWD OF MEDIA, THE MALAYSIAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTER SHOWED OFF WHAT WAS INSIDE.

YIN: WHOEVER THAT SEND THEIR WASTE TO MALAYSIA, WHETHER IT'S E-WASTE, WHETHER IT'S PLASTIC WASTE OR WHATEVER WASTE, WE WILL SEND IT BACK.

AND WE WILL FIGHT BACK.

EVEN THOUGH WE ARE A SMALL COUNTRY, WE CANNOT BE BULLIED BY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.

NAWAZ: THE CRACKDOWN HAD THE UNINTENDED EFFECT OF PUSHING ILLEGAL SITES INTO MORE UNPOPULATED AREAS, AWAY FROM THE EYES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND NOW, PLASTIC WASTE SMUGGLERS ARE TAKING THEIR BUSINESS AWAY FROM THE CITIES AND DEEPER INTO THE JUNGLE.

THE BURNING SENDS A TOXIC BREW INTO THE AIR.

SUNNY TNEOH IS AN ACTIVIST WORKING TO STOP THE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.

HE USES A PARTICLE COUNTER TO TAKE AIR QUALITY READINGS.

ANYTHING OVER 35.4 IS CONSIDERED UNHEALTHY.

HERE, THE READING SETTLED AT 123.

TNEOH: THESE PEOPLE HAVE, ARE DOING IS IN COMPLETE DEFIANCE OF THE GOVERNMENT AND POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT DOING HARMFUL, THINGS THAT ARE HARMFUL TO OUR SOCIETY.

NAWAZ: WE FOUND THAT HARM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

OUTSIDE THE NORTHERN CITY OF SUNGAI PETANI, YELLOW TAPE AND A GOVERNMENT NOTICE TO SHUT DOWN.

THE FACILITY WAS STILL OPERATING 5 MONTHS LATER.

FARTHER SOUTH IN PORT KLANG, AN ILLEGAL FACILITY, NOW ABANDONED, BUT STILL FILLED WITH FOREIGN WASTE, INCLUDING PLASTIC FROM AMERICA.

PLASTIC HAS BECOME A HOT POTATO.

IN INDONESIA, THEY'RE SHIPPING CONTAINERS FULL OF WASTE BACK TO AUSTRALIA...

IN THAILAND, ACTIVISTS ARE TAKING TO THE STREETS TO PROTEST THE TRASH TRADE.

THE TRADE THAT'S POLLUTED THEIR ONCE-PRISTINE BEACHES...

LARGELY WITH WHAT'S KNOWN AS SINGLE-USE PLASTIC, THE STUFF THAT'S USED ONCE, THEN TOSSED.

GEYER: 40% OF ALL PLASTIC IS, IS THAT KIND OF SINGLE-USE PACKAGING.

NAWAZ: 40% OF ALL PLASTIC.

GEYER: YES.

SO WE IF WE DID AWAY WITH SINGLE-USE PACKAGING I THINK WE COULD SOLVE 40% OF THE PROBLEM.

NAWAZ: THAT WOULD MAKE A HUGE DENT.

GEYER: THAT WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE AND I THINK IT'S REALLY DOABLE.

NAWAZ: SO BANS ON SINGLE-USE PLASTIC ARE POPPING UP AROUND THE GLOBE.

FROM THE TINY ISLAND OF DOMINICA IN THE CARIBBEAN WHERE THEY'VE BANNED ALL SINGLE-USE PLASTIC CONTAINERS, INCLUDING STYROFOAM, TO SCOTLAND, WHERE ONE OF THE TARGETS IS THE COTTON SWAB.

TO RWANDA WHERE ONE OF THE WORLD'S FIRST PLASTIC BAG BANS HAS TRANSFORMED THE LANDSCAPE.

THAT WILLINGNESS TO CRACK DOWN ON PLASTIC USE IS NOT AS WIDESPREAD IN THE UNITED STATES.

A PBS "NEWSHOUR" MARIST POLL FOUND ONLY 25% OF AMERICANS WOULD FULLY SUPPORT A BAN ON SINGLE-USE PLASTICS AND 19% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT THE IDEA.

IN SOME PLACES, THE BACKLASH ON BANS HAS BEEN LOUD.

THE PRESSURE FROM PUBLIC OUTCRY HAS LED SOME CITIES AND STATES TO REVERSE COURSE AND BAN ANY BANS ON BAGS AND STRAWS.

IN OKLAHOMA, THE STATE GOVERNMENT PASSED LEGISLATION PREVENTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM BANNING OR TAXING PLASTIC BAGS.

THE TARGETING OF THE TINY STRAW EVEN DREW THE ATTENTION OF PRESIDENT TRUMP.

TRUMP: SO, YOU HAVE A LITTLE STRAW, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PLATES, THE WRAPPERS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT ARE MUCH BIGGER AND THEY'RE MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL?

SO, THE STRAWS ARE INTERESTING.

EVERYBODY FOCUSES ON THE STRAWS.

THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS TO FOCUS... NAWAZ: IN ALL, MORE THAN A DOZEN STATES HAVE IMPLEMENTED THESE "“PREEMPTION"” LAWS TO KEEP LOCAL LEADERS FROM PASSING ANY BANS ON PLASTIC.

ALREADY HUNDREDS OF STATES, COUNTIES, AND CITIES HAVE SOME KIND OF PLASTIC BAN OR TAX IN PLACE.

SEATTLE IS ONE OF THOSE CITIES.

IT SET ITS SIGHTS ON SINGLE-USE UTENSILS, BAGS AND STRAWS IN JULY OF 2018, BECOMING THE FIRST MAJOR AMERICAN CITY TO IMPLEMENT AN OUTRIGHT BAN.

WHY STRAWS?

FONG: NOT ALL PLASTICS ARE CREATED EQUAL.

NAWAZ: AS BECCA FONG OF SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES EXPLAINS, EVEN THE BEST RECYCLING SYSTEM ISN'T PERFECT.

FONG: IT'S GEARED TO CAPTURE CERTAIN TYPES OF PLASTIC OF CERTAIN SIZES AND IF IT DOESN'T FIT INTO THOSE CATEGORIES IT'S NOT REALLY RECOVERABLE.

NAWAZ: SO SPEAKING OF CERTAIN SIZES, SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

A TINY LITTLE PLASTIC STRAW.

WHERE DOES SOMETHING LIKE THAT STRAW FIT?

FONG: THE FACT THAT IT MADE IT HERE IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF SMALL ITEMS ARE GOING TO FALL THROUGH THE MACHINERY AND NOT BE ABLE TO BE RECOVERED TO BE RECYCLED.

NAWAZ: MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE BAN ITSELF IS THE WAY IN WHICH IT MAKES PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE WAY THEY USE PLASTIC.

FONG: IT IS THAT PIECE OF MATERIAL THAT IS SO SMALL AND SO NUANCED AND ACTUALLY KIND OF AN EXTRA FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT IT ACTUALLY MAKES PEOPLE STOP AND THINK, "“DO I REALLY NEED TO HAVE THIS STRAW?

"” AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGER IMPACT.

HARA: A STRAW THAT I USE TODAY IN SEATTLE CAN END UP IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND LAST THERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS OR CAN RETURN BACK TO YOUR PLATE IN TEN YEARS AS MICRO PLASTICS EMBEDDED IN SOME FISH.

NAWAZ: MAMI HARA RUNS SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES.

BEFORE HER TEAM COULD IMPLEMENT AND ENFORCE THE BAN THEY HAD TO GET LOCAL BUSINESSES ON BOARD.

HARA: FOR A LOT OF BUSINESSES IT HASN'T BEEN A HARD SELL.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRICE POINT, WE TRY TO WORK WITH THEM TO FIND VIABLE ALTERNATIVES THAT DON'T IMPACT THEIR PURSE TOO MUCH.

DONEGAN: WE'LL BUY ABOUT A MILLION STRAWS THIS YEAR AND THE COST OF STRAWS HAS TRIPLED.

NAWAZ: BOB DONEGAN IS THE PRESIDENT OF IVAR'S, AN 80-YEAR-OLD SEATTLE SEAFOOD INSTITUTION.

DONEGAN: WE DON'T ROUTINELY PUT A STRAW IN A DRINK.

WE ASK EVERYBODY WOULD YOU LIKE A STRAW AND THEY CAN ALWAYS HAVE ONE.

AND THESE ARE THE NEW COMPOSTABLE STRAWS, THEY ARE MADE FROM PLANTS.

NAWAZ: BUT THE COMPOSTABLE STRAWS AREN'T A PERFECT SOLUTION... DONEGAN: I CHALLENGE YOU TO SUCK A MILKSHAKE THROUGH THAT STRAW AND SEE IF YOU CAN MAKE IT.

NAWAZ: THAT'S NOT EASY.

DONEGAN: THAT'S PRETTY HARD.

NAWAZ: YEAH.

SO HE'S SPENDING MORE MONEY AND ORDERING BIGGER STRAWS.

SINCE THE BAN, COSTS HAVE GONE UP.

BUT DONEGAN SAYS HE BUDGETED AROUND THEM BY BUYING SUPPLIES EARLY, AND IN BULK.

SO THERE'S NO USE, HE SAYS, IN COMPLAINING.

DONEGAN: PUT ON YOUR BIG BOY PANTS AND GET USED TO IT.

EVERYTHING THE GOVERNMENT DOES ISN'T FAIR.

BUT OUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT THAT OF US AND WE WANT TO DO WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS WANT.

BENSON: NOT ONLY ARE WE SAYING THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT TO US, THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.

NAWAZ: WES BENSON AT TACO TIME, ANOTHER AREA FOOD CHAIN, IS TAKING SEATTLE'S STRAW AND UTENSIL BAN ONE STEP FURTHER.

TODAY, NEARLY EVERY SINGLE ITEM THEY GIVE CUSTOMERS, FROM UTENSILS AND CUPS TO PLATES AND BOWLS, IS FULLY COMPOSTABLE, MEANING THEY'RE MADE OF NATURAL MATERIALS, AND CAN BE TURNED INTO COMPOST AFTER BEING TOSSED.

BENSON: ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT BEING 100% COMPOSTABLE IS YOU CAN MAKE IT A PART OF YOUR STORY.

WE'RE A LOCAL COMPANY, THE ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT TO US AND WE'RE WILLING TO PAY 5 TIMES AS MUCH FOR OUR PACKAGING.

NAWAZ: WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER ABOUT COMPOST, THE WASTE HAS TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO A COMPOST FACILITY IN ORDER TO BREAK DOWN INTO SOIL.

MOST COMPOST FACILITIES IN THE U.S. ONLY TAKE YARD TRIMMINGS.

BUT HERE IN SEATTLE, THEY HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT INCLUDES FOOD WASTE.

THIS IS WHERE SEATTLE PROCESSES ITS COMPOST ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE.

A FAMILY BUSINESS, RUN BY JASON LENZ, AN HOUR NORTH OF THE CITY.

HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM DO PLASTICS PRESENT?

LENZ: YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT INSURMOUNTABLE AT THE SAME TIME IT'S, IT'S, UH, DEFINITELY A PROBLEM.

NAWAZ: EVEN HERE, BITS OF PLASTIC NEED TO BE SORTED OUT.

LENZ HAS BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS SINCE 2008.

NAWAZ: SO WITHOUT THE CITY ASKING THIS OF YOU, OR SHOWING THERE WAS A DEMAND FOR THIS YOU GUYS LIKELY WOULDN'T BE DOING THIS?

LENZ: THAT'S CORRECT.

SEATTLE IS A BIG PUSHER OF ORGANICS DIVERSION FOR COMPOSTING.

AND UH, YEAH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE IN THIS BUSINESS.

NAWAZ: WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?

LENZ'S COMPANY NOW CHURNS OUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TONS OF COMPOST A YEAR.

LENZ: I THINK THERE'S A SPOT OVER HERE.

THIS IS THE FINAL PRODUCT.

NAWAZ: AND SELLS IT TO EVERYONE FROM SOIL COMPANIES, TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, TO HOME GARDENERS.

SEATTLE'S EFFORTS EVEN EXTEND TO THE BALLPARK.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S SEATTLE MARINERS, WE GOT A LOOK A THE STACKS OF COMPOSTABLE ITEMS THEY NOW REQUIRE FOOD VENDORS TO USE.

IN 2017, THE PARK MANAGED TO RECYCLE OR COMPOST 96% OF ALL WASTE.

TREVOR GOOBY RUNS OPERATIONS AT THE BALLPARK.

GOOBY: IT DEFINITELY IS MORE WORK TO SORT THROUGH THE TRASH THAT WE HAVE AFTER THE GAME AND TO DO THESE TYPE OF THINGS.

AGAIN, WE FEEL IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR BUSINESS.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE OUR FANS ARE ASKING US TO DO IT.

NAWAZ: SO WHILE SOME CITIES AND BUSINESSES IN THE U.S. ARE DOING THEIR PART TO CUT BACK ON PLASTIC, HERE THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS BEING ASKED TO PITCH IN.

CANADA, THE WORLD'S SECOND LARGEST NATION IS TRYING TO PUT INTO PLACE THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST PLASTIC BAN.

TRUDEAU: AS EARLY AS 2021 CANADA WILL BAN HARMFUL SINGLE-USE PLASTICS FROM COAST TO COAST TO COAST.

IT WILL BE UP TO BUSINESSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PLASTICS THEY'RE MANUFACTURING AND PUTTING OUT INTO THE WORLD.

NAWAZ: AT "“UNBOXED MARKET"” ON TORONTO'S HISTORIC DUNDAS STREET, SINGLE-USE PLASTIC IS ALREADY A THING OF THE PAST.

THE ZERO WASTE GROCERY STORE IS THE BRAINCHILD OF MICHELLE GENTTNER AND HER PARTNER LUIS MARTINS.

GENTTNER: I'M FROM RURAL SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND HE'S FROM SOUTHERN PORTUGAL, IT WAS VERY MUCH A NEED TO RECOGNIZE ACCESS TO FOOD AND QUALITY INGREDIENTS AND THINGS THAT ARE ALWAYS FRESH.

AND WHEN YOU GROW UP NEAR OR ON FARMS, YOU HAVE CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THOSE ITEMS SO YOU CAN TOUCH YOUR POTATOES, YOU CAN TOUCH YOUR CORN.

YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU CAN SMELL IT.

AND WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW, THAT EXCESS PACKAGING AND PLASTICS AND SINGLE-USE WRAPPERS AND EVERYTHING JUST SEEMED DAUNTING.

AND SO WE WANTED TO AVOID IT AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

NAWAZ: SHOPPERS HERE BRING THEIR OWN CONTAINERS TO TRANSPORT EVERYTHING HOME.

GENTTNER: SOMEBODY IN THE WINTER HAD A GLOVE AND THEY PUT EGGS IN EACH OF THE FINGERS OF THE GLOVE SO THEY WOULDN'T BANG TOGETHER.

HOWEVER YOU LIKE... NAWAZ: THEY PUT EGGS INTO A GLOVE?

GENTTNER: INTO THE GLOVE, YEAH IT WAS AMAZING.

NAWAZ: SO MILK, WE GO THROUGH SO MUCH MILK IN MY HOUSE.

HOW DO I GET MILK HERE?

GENTTNER: MILK IS A FUN THING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.

IT'S ON TOP AS WELL.

SO IF YOU DIDN'T BRING A CONTAINER YOU CAN GRAB ONE THAT WE HAVE SAME PROCESS ALWAYS.

ANY SIZE, YES.

SO JUST OPEN THAT.

AND THEN, THERE IS A LITTLE SPOUT UNDERNEATH HERE.

SO JUST LINE YOUR JAR UP, YEP.

AND THEN JUST PULL UP SLOWLY ON THE HANDLE.

NAWAZ: AND, FRESH MILK, ALRIGHT.

BUT EVEN HERE TO HELP KEEP SOME FOOD FRESH THEY RELY ON PLASTIC... NOW CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT ONE THING?

GENTTNER: YEAH.

NAWAZ: OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE MADE OF PLASTIC.

GENTTNER: YES.

NAWAZ: SO YOU'VE GOT PLASTIC IN THE STORE, RIGHT?

GENTTNER: WE DO, WE DO.

IT'S DELIBERATELY SINGLE-USE PLASTICS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID.

THESE WILL BE USED, HAVE BEEN USED COUNTLESS TIMES WILL CONTINUE TO BE USED COUNTLESS TIMES.

IT'S NOT THE SAME AS A THROW AWAY WRAPPER AROUND A STRAW OR A CHIP BAG OR THOSE INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-USE PRODUCTS.

THIS IS MEANT TO BE A SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM PRODUCT.

NAWAZ: OKAY.

UNLIKE IN THE U.S., PEOPLE HERE SEEM TO BE MORE ON BOARD WITH CUTTING BACK ON SINGLE-USE PLASTIC.

POLLING SHOWS 81% OF CANADIANS SUPPORT THE IDEA OF A BAN AND A MAJORITY WOULD ALSO BE WILLING TO PAY MORE TO HELP REDUCE WASTE.

WHEN THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM IS SO BIG THOUGH THIS IS WHAT WE HEAR AGAIN AND AGAIN FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

HOW DO YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT DAY IN AND DAY OUT?

GENTTNER: IT'S ALL I THINK ABOUT.

IT'S ALL I THINK ABOUT ALL DAY.

I THINK THAT THERE IS AN OVERWHELMING, "THIS IS A LOT WE CAN'T DO IT."

BUT, WHAT I SAY TO CUSTOMERS WHO COME FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THEY'RE TRYING TO THINK OF A WAY TO TRANSITION IN THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT, DON'T LOOK AT YOUR WHOLE HOUSE.

LOOK AT ONE ROOM.

LOOK AT ONE SECTION OF YOUR ROOM.

POPA: BROCCOLI, YEAH, CAN YOU HELP ME PUT THESE IN THE FRIDGE ALEX?

NAWAZ: VICKY POPA SHOPS AT "“UNBOXED MARKET"” EVERY WEEK IN HER QUEST TO BANISH SINGLE-USE PLASTIC.

POPA: I THINK WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE TO NOT DO SOMETHING.

I THINK WE, WE KNOW THE PROBLEM'S THERE AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REVERSE WHAT'S BEEN DONE BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN KEEP ON LIVING AND MOVING FORWARD THE WAY THAT WE HAVE.

DO I THINK WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

IN SOME WAYS, YES, AS A FAMILY WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE, I THINK THE BIGGEST IMPACT WE COULD HAVE IS TO PASS IT ON TO OUR KIDS.

NAWAZ: 6-YEAR-OLD, BELLA HAS BEEN PAYING ATTENTION.

IS PLASTIC A BIG PROBLEM IN THE OCEAN?

BELLA: YES.

NAWAZ: WHY IS IT A PROBLEM?

BELLA: BECAUSE THAT ANIMALS EAT IT AND THEN THEY GET SICK.

NAWAZ: DO YOU THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS.

BELLA: NO.

NAWAZ: NO, WHY DON'T THEY KNOW ABOUT?

BELLA: BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALLY THINK ABOUT THE PLANET.

NAWAZ: WHY SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT THE PLANET?

BELLA: SO IT COULD STAY HEALTHY AND THEN ALL THE ANIMALS COULD BE HEALTHY AND THEN ALL THE ANIMALS COULD BE IN THE OCEAN.

NAWAZ: CANADIANS MIGHT SUPPORT A PLASTIC BAN BUT WHAT ABOUT COMPANIES?

UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL, COMPANIES WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLASTIC LONG AFTER THEY MAKE IT AND SELL IT.

UNILEVER IS A GLOBAL COMPANY WITH DOZENS OF RECOGNIZABLE HOUSEHOLD BRANDS, DOVE SHAMPOO, LIPTON TEA, VASELINE.

AND MANY ARE PACKAGED AND SOLD IN SOME FORM OF PLASTIC.

UNILEVER NOT ONLY SIGNED THE, "NEW PLASTICS ECONOMY GLOBAL COMMITMENT,"” AN INITIATIVE FROM THE ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION, TARGETING PLASTIC POLLUTION AT ITS SOURCE.

IT ALSO JUST PLEDGED TO CUT IN HALF THE AMOUNT OF NON-RECYCLED PLASTIC IT USES BY 2025.

ITS ANNUAL PLASTIC PACKAGING OUTPUT IS NEARLY 700,000 METRIC TONS.

COYNE: WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO AWAY WITH PLASTIC.

IT IS IN TOO MUCH OF TOO MANY THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS WORLD, WELL BEYOND ANY PACKAGING THAT I PUT IN THE MARKETPLACE.

NAWAZ: JOHN COYNE WORKS ON SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES AT UNILEVER CANADA.

COYNE: WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO TRY TO DO IS TRY TO APPLY OURSELVES TO THE WASTE ISSUE.

HOW DO WE TAKE RECYCLING RATES FROM 11% TO A MUCH HIGHER NUMBER?

NAWAZ: BY SAYING IT'S MORE OF A PLASTIC WASTE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF A PLASTIC PROBLEM AREN'T YOU REALLY JUST SHIFTING A LOT OF THE BURDEN MORE TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THE PLASTIC INSTEAD OF THE PEOPLE LIKE UNILEVER WHO ARE MAKING IT?

COYNE: NO I DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE AND, AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE MADE THE ARGUMENT THAT SOMEHOW CONSUMERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.

NO, I ACTUALLY I DON'T ACCEPT THAT.

IF WE HAVE OWNERSHIP OVER THAT MATERIAL THAT WE CAN RECOVER WE ARE IN A BETTER POSITION AS BUSINESSES TO REUTILIZE THAT MATERIAL.

NAWAZ: RECOVERING AND REUSING THE PLASTIC IS MORE IMPORTANT, COYNE SAYS, THAN EFFORTS TO BAN IT.

COYNE: THE VOLUME OF MATERIAL THAT WE ARE RECOVERING FROM THE MARKETPLACE IS STILL SO LOW THAT I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT A BAN ON ANY SINGLE-USE PLASTICS IS GOING TO HAVE A MATERIAL IMPACT ON THAT.

NAWAZ: HOW WOULD IT NOT?

DOESN'T THAT MEAN THAT IN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT JUST ISN'T GOING OUT INTO THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

COYNE: I DON'T KNOW WHAT PROPORTION OF THE OVERALL PLASTICS THAT IS.

NAWAZ: ABOUT 40% BY GLOBAL ESTIMATES.

COYNE: NO, I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT HIGH AT ALL.

I DON'T THINK...

IT DEPENDS HOW YOU, WELL, IT DEPENDS HOW YOU DEFINE SINGLE-USE PLASTICS.

NAWAZ: HOW DO YOU DEFINE SINGLE USE PLASTICS?

COYNE: SINGLE-USE PLASTICS ARE THINGS LIKE PLASTIC BAGS AND STRAWS WHICH ARE THE TWO MOST COMMON EXAMPLES.

WHICH ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FOR USE ONE TIME.

BUT THERE ARE THOSE WHO WILL ARGUE THAT A PLASTIC BAG IS NOT A SINGLE-USE PRODUCT.

YES YOU BRING IT HOME FROM THE GROCERY STORE BUT YOU MAY USE IT THREE OR FOUR TIMES IN THE HOME.

NAWAZ: BUT INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGIST ROLAND GEYER SAYS REUSING AND RECYCLING WON'T FIX THE PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN 91% OF THE WORLD'S PLASTIC CURRENTLY GOES UNRECYCLED.

GEYER: THE ONLY PLASTIC THAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE DISPOSED OF IS PLASTIC THAT WAS NEVER MADE.

NAWAZ: THAT FACT POSES A BIG PROBLEM FOR THE WORLD'S BIGGEST PLASTIC PRODUCERS.

ONE OF THOSE IS COCA COLA, SINCE THE VERY FIRST COKE WAS POURED 133 YEARS AGO, THE ICONIC GLOBAL BRAND HAS USED LOTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PACKAGING, EVERYTHING FROM GLASS AND METAL TO ALUMINUM AND PLASTIC.

INSIDE COCA-COLA'S ARCHIVES IN ATLANTA ARE SHELVES AND SHELVES OF ITS HISTORIC DESIGNS.

P-E-T PLASTIC BOTTLES DIDN'T ARRIVE ON THE SCENE UNTIL 1978.

TODAY, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY SELLS OVER 120 BILLION PLASTIC BOTTLES A YEAR.

LAID OUT END TO END, THOSE BOTTLES COULD WRAP AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE EARTH 700 TIMES.

PEREZ: IT'S A VERY BIG PROBLEM THAT HAS TO BE SOLVED, THIS CANNOT BE DONE ALONE.

NAWAZ: BEA PEREZ IS COCA COLA'S SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR SUSTAINABILITY.

PEREZ: IF THE PLANET IS NOT STABLE, IF COMMUNITIES AREN'T THRIVING THEN NO ONE'S GOING TO WIN AND BUSINESS IS NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

NAWAZ: LIKE UNILEVER, COCA-COLA SIGNED ON TO THE NEW PLASTICS ECONOMY GLOBAL COMMITMENT AND DISCLOSED ITS PLASTIC PRODUCTION, 3 MILLION METRIC TONS A YEAR.

HOW DID THAT NUMBER RESONATE?

DID YOU THINK OK THIS IS WAY MORE THAN WE THOUGHT OR HOW DO WE BRING THIS DOWN?

PEREZ: WELL WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT, SO HOW DO YOU BRING IT DOWN?

BUT HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY REUSING IT SO YOU'RE NOT CREATING NEW.

SO PART OF THIS IS TO HELP TO ELIMINATE VIRGIN PLASTICS.

YOU'RE NOT CREATING NEW MATERIALS YOU'RE PUTTING INTO THE MARKETPLACE YOU'RE USING THE ONES THAT ARE OUT THERE AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND GIVING THAT VALUE TO THE MATERIAL.

NAWAZ: A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT THAT AND SAY THREE MILLION TONS IS QUITE A LOT.

DO YOU HAVE A TARGET IN MIND FOR WHERE YOU WANT THAT NUMBER TO BE BY 2030 OR SOONER?

PEREZ: THAT'S NOT PART OF THE TARGET, THE TARGET IS ABOUT THE COLLECTION.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER IS PUT OUT THERE WE'RE COLLECTING BACK AND REUSING.

NAWAZ: TO HELP DO THAT, COCA COLA LAUNCHED THEIR "“WORLD WITHOUT WASTE"” PROGRAM.

THE GOAL IS TO COLLECT AND RECYCLE THE EQUIVALENT OF EVERY BOTTLE OR CAN IT SELLS GLOBALLY BY 2030.

JORDAN: WE DON'T FUNDAMENTALLY SEE OUR PACKAGING AS WASTE.

THAT'S A VALUE THAT WE'RE NOT REALIZING AND WE WANT TO SEE THAT PACKAGE COME BACK SO THAT WE CAN TURN IT INTO A NEW PACKAGE.

NAWAZ: BEN JORDAN HEADS UP COCA-COLA'S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.

JORDAN: TWO BILLION TIMES A DAY CONSUMERS ENJOY OUR PRODUCT AROUND THE WORLD USUALLY OUT OF A PACKAGE.

AND WHEN THEY'RE FINISHED WITH THEIR PRODUCT THEY HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE.

WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITH THAT PACKAGE?

MANY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD YOU SEE INFORMAL SCAVENGING SYSTEMS WHERE WASTE PICKERS WILL FIND THAT PACKAGE EVEN IF IT'S LITTERED BY A CONSUMER, THEY'LL FIND IT AND GET IT BACK INTO RECYCLING BECAUSE IT'S WORTH THEIR TIME, THAT INHERENT VALUE IN THAT MATERIAL IS WORTH THEIR TIME.

THERE ARE PLACES IN THE WORLD WHERE THERE IS NOT THAT INHERENT VALUE IN THE MATERIAL AND YOU NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE.

NOW IS THAT A FORMAL WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?

A CURBSIDE RECYCLING PROGRAM LIKE WE HAVE IN THE U.S. OR OTHER PARTS OF THE DEVELOPING WORLD?

OR MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING EVEN ON TOP OF THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT IN PLACE TO MOTIVATE CONSUMERS TO DO THE RIGHT THING WITH THEIR PACKAGING.

NAWAZ: CHANGING THE PACKAGING ITSELF TO MAKE IT MORE RECYCLABLE IS ANOTHER GOAL OF THE COMPANY.

BY 2025 COCA-COLA WANTS ALL ITS PACKAGING TO BE 100% RECYCLABLE AND BY 2030 THE COMPANY WANTS 50% OF NEW PACKAGING TO USE RECYCLED MATERIAL.

IN 2018, THAT NUMBER WAS AT 30%.

SOME WILL SAY IT'S EASY TO MAKE IT AN INDUSTRY PRIORITY WHEN THE BOTTOM LINE ISN'T TOO BADLY AFFECTED.

CAN YOU COMMIT THAT EVEN IF THOSE THINGS WEREN'T THERE THAT EVEN IF THE BOTTOM LINE SHIFT IF THE NUMBERS DON'T QUITE ADD UP DOES THIS STILL REMAIN A PRIORITY FOR COKE?

PEREZ: YES THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR COKE, ABSOLUTELY.

AND SO EITHER PAY TODAY OR YOU PAY TOMORROW.

YOU'RE GOING TO PAY BY EITHER LOSING YOUR CONSUMERS WHO GIVE UP IN YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY SAY... BECAUSE WE KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE DATA COMING WITH THIS NEXT GENERATION, MILLENNIALS STARTED IT I'D SAY, THIS NEXT GENERATION Z IS THERE IN TERMS OF PURCHASE CONSIDERATION, THEY'RE SAYING I'M NOT GOING TO PURCHASE BRANDS THAT DO NOT LEAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT OR LEGACY IN SOCIETY.

I DON'T WANT TO FEEL BADLY ABOUT THE PRODUCTS I'M CONSUMING SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS.

WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO LOSE CONSUMERS IF WE DON'T DO THIS WE'RE GOING TO PAY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER SO IT'S BETTER TO INVEST TODAY DO THE RIGHT THINGS AND ENSURE THAT WE ALSO HAVE A STRONG BUSINESS BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS.

NAWAZ: WHILE COKE IS MAKING INROADS WITH ITS PLASTIC RECYCLING, ONE BRITISH COMPANY IS MAKING ACTUAL ROADS USING, WHAT ELSE?

RECYCLED PLASTIC.

IT'S AN INNOVATIVE WAY TO RE-USE PLASTIC THAT ALREADY EXISTS.

TOBY MCCARTNEY IS THE MAN BEHIND "“MACREBUR,"” A START-UP THAT MIXES RECYCLED PLASTIC PELLETS INTO ASPHALT TO MAKE LONGER LASTING AND CHEAPER ROADS.

TOBY MCCARTNEY: THE DOWNSIDE TO WASTE PLASTICS IS IT LASTS FOR SO LONG.

A BOTTLE WILL LAST FOR MAYBE 500 YEARS.

WHAT WE'RE USING IS THE ABILITY OF THOSE PLASTICS, BECAUSE THEY LAST SO LONG, BUT IN OUR ROADS.

WE WANT OUR ROADS TO LAST SO LONG BEFORE THEY NEED ANY MAINTENANCE.

NAWAZ: MACREBUR IS PAVING THE WAY TOWARDS BETTER PLASTIC USE, BUT ITS EFFORTS ARE A JUST A DROP IN THE BUCKET.

DON'T FORGET, NINE BILLION METRIC TONS OF PLASTIC HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED IN THE LAST 70 YEARS.

THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH OUT THERE TO RE-USE IT ALL.

SO WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE?

RIGHT NOW THE ONLY OPTION FOR LARGE-SCALE, TOTAL DISPOSAL WE HAVE IS INCINERATION, LITERALLY BURNING THE PLASTIC.

BUT THAT SOLUTION CAN CREATE ANOTHER PROBLEM, RELEASING TOXIC CHEMICALS INTO THE AIR.

WHAT IS IN HERE?

VAGUE: UM SO THESE ARE BAGS OF DIRT THAT I COLLECTED FROM VARIOUS SITES AROUND THE HOUSTON AREA.

NAWAZ: TO BYPASS INCINERATION, MORGAN VAGUE HAD A HUNCH WHEN SHE WAS A STUDENT AT REED COLLEGE IN OREGON.

IF PLASTIC REALLY IS EVERYWHERE, MAYBE, IN HEAVILY POLLUTED AREAS, BACTERIA HAVE EVOLVED TO EAT IT.

AND MAYBE THOSE BACTERIA COULD TAKE A BITE OUT OF OUR PLASTIC PROBLEM.

SO SHE COLLECTED SAMPLES FROM SOME OF THE DIRTIEST PLACES AROUND HER HOMETOWN OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, LIKE SITES OF PAST OIL SPILLS, AND SITES DEEMED CONTAMINATED BY THE EPA AND BROUGHT THEM BACK TO THE LAB.

SO YOU IDENTIFY THE BACTERIA YOU WANT TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT, AND THEN YOU PUT THEM IN THESE TEST TUBES.

VAGUE: YES.

NAWAZ: AND THE ONLY FOOD YOU GIVE THEM, BASICALLY, IS A PIECE OF PLASTIC.

VAGUE: EXACTLY, AND WE'RE FORTUNATE TO FIND SOME THAT DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB.

NAWAZ: WHAT WOULD YOU NAME IT, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT?

VAGUE: PSEUDOMONAS MORGANITIS IS THE TENTATIVE NAME.

NAWAZ: I LIKE THAT YOU'VE ALREADY THOUGHT OF THAT.

VAGUE: OH YEAH.

NAWAZ: BUT NAME OR NO NAME, HER PLASTIC-EATING BACTERIA IS PROMISING EVEN IF IT HAS A WAYS TO GO.

VAGUE: THEY HAVE THIS ABILITY BUT IT'S INCREDIBLY SLOW, TOO SLOW TO BE USEFUL FOR US.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO REALLY TO MAKE THE PLASTIC A LITTLE MORE APPETIZING TO THESE LITTLE BUGS?

PRE-TREATMENTS KIND OF LIKE MARINATE ON THE STEAK, RIGHT.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE THESE A LITTLE MORE PALATABLE, MAKE IT SO BACTERIA SAY, "OH HEY, THAT LOOKS GOOD, I REALLY WANT TO EAT ON THAT" AND EAT IT UP QUICKLY.

NAWAZ: IT'S JUST ONE STUDY, IN VERY EARLY STAGES, BUT SHE'S EXCITED FOR WHERE IT COULD LEAD.

VAGUE: I THINK WE NEED MORE OF THESE KIND OF GRASSROOTS EFFORTS AND KIND OF THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX OR OUTSIDE THE PLASTIC BOTTLE AND KIND OF SAYING WHAT SORT OF SOLUTIONS WE CAN FIND.

NAWAZ: AND INSPIRATION FOR SOLUTIONS TO THE PLASTIC PROBLEM CAN COME IN MANY SHAPES AND SIZES.

THIS IS A SEABIN, ESSENTIALLY A GARBAGE FILTER THAT GOES INTO THE WATER.

THIS ONE IS PART OF A PILOT PROJECT AT TORONTO'S OUTER HARBOR MARINA BUT MORE SEABINS ARE WORKING HARD ALL OVER THE WORLD.

SAWICKI: PEOPLE SEE THE GARBAGE FLOATING BUT THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT THE WATER BOTTLE THEY USE, THEY MAY HAVE PUT IT IN THE RECYCLING BIN BUT SOMEHOW IT ACCIDENTALLY ENDED UP IN THE WATER.

NAWAZ: HOW DOES IT WORK?

THE CYLINDER SUCKS IN ALL THE JUNK.

A CONTAINMENT BAG CATCHES IT.

AND INSIDE THIS SLUDGE IS A LOT OF PLASTIC: A COFFEE CUP LID, A CANDY WRAPPER.

EVERY DAY THE SEABIN CAN TRAP UP TO 9 POUNDS OF FLOATING TRASH.

GOFF: THIS IS THE ONE YOU CAN EAT.

NAWAZ: LORI GOFF SAYS THE INSPIRATION FOR HER INVENTION TO TACKLE THE PLASTIC PROBLEM CAME FROM A CARTOON, "“CAPTAIN PLANET"”.

MAN: THE POWER IS YOURS.

GOFF: PART OF WHAT CAPTAIN PLANET SAYS IS, "“TAKE POLLUTION DOWN TO ZERO AND THE POWER IS YOURS.

"” AND THIS STUCK WITH ME.

IT'S STILL HERE WITH ME NOW.

SO THERE'S JUST THIS LITTLE CAPTAIN PLANET FLYING AROUND TELLING ME THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE TO HELP MAKE THE WORLD BETTER.

THAT I CAN'T BE WAITING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THIS.

NAWAZ: SO GOFF, AN AMERICAN LIVING IN THE NETHERLANDS, CAME UP WITH AN IDEA SHE CALLS "“UNPLASTIC", AN ALTERNATIVE WRAPPER THAT USES LEFTOVER WASTEWATER FROM BREWING BEER.

GOFF: IT'S A SUPER HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL MATERIAL THAT'S TRANSPARENT.

IT'S COMPOSTABLE.

IT'S EDIBLE.

IT'S TOTALLY NON-TOXIC AND IT'S COMPLETELY PLASTIC FREE.

BREWERY WASTE WAS JUST THROWN AWAY.

AND NOW WE CAN TAKE IT AND MAKE IT INTO SOMETHING, THAT'S EXTREMELY FUNCTIONAL AND, TOTALLY HELPFUL FOR US.

IT CAN PROTECT OUR FOOD.

IT CAN PACKAGE THINGS AND AT THE END OF THE DAY IT WILL JUST GO BACK TO THE EARTH.

NAWAZ: INNOVATION AND INVENTIONS ASIDE, EVERYDAY CITIZENS ARE ASKING WHAT THEY CAN DO TO MAKE A DENT IN THE PLASTIC PROBLEM.

EXPERTS SAY, START SMALL AND SCALE UP.

VICKY POPA STARTED WITH A CUP OF COFFEE.

NAWAZ: SO ALL REUSABLE CUPS.

POPA: ALL REUSABLE CUPS.

NAWAZ: A CLOTH COFFEE FILTER?

POPA: YES, AND WE GET OUR COFFEES IN A JAR.

REUSABLE SNACK BAGS, WE'VE GOT SILICON.

NAWAZ: WHAT DO YOU REPLACE IT WITH?

POPA: WE'RE REPLACING IT WITH THESE WAX WRAPS.

IT COVERS THE FOOD SO THAT IT DOESN'T DRY OUT.

NAWAZ: HOW ON EARTH DO YOU GET RID OF PLASTIC IN YOUR BATHROOM?

POPA: YEAH, WE'RE USING A TOOTHPASTE IN A JAR.

NAWAZ: AND IT'S A GLASS JAR, RIGHT?

POPA: IT'S A GLASS JAR.

NAWAZ: YOU CAN WASH IT OUT, REUSE IT.

POPA: WE'VE GOT HAND SOAP.

SO NOW INSTEAD OF THE PLASTIC PUMPS WE'VE GOT A GLASS JAR.

NAWAZ: SO YOU'VE MADE LITTLE CHANGES EVERYWHERE YOU CAN.

POPA: LITTLE CHANGES, YES.

NAWAZ: HOW HARD IS IT TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES?

I NEED...

I PUT MY OWN GROCERY LIST TO THE TEST AND DID A SHOPPING RUN AT "“UNBOXED MARKET,"” ROLLS, MILK... WE ARE SHOPPING.

CEREAL, EGGS, PEPPERS, PEAS, PASTA, LETTUCE, POPCORN, DISH SOAP, BLUEBERRIES, AND CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMONDS.

AT THE CHECKOUT COUNTER, THE ONLY PIECE OF PLASTIC?

THE REUSABLE SOAP BOTTLE.

COMPARE THAT TO THIS: BUYING THE SAME ITEMS FROM A NATIONAL GROCERY CHAIN MEANT ALSO BUYING ALL THIS PLASTIC.

NEARLY EVERY SINGLE ITEM CAME IN SOME FORM OF PACKAGING AND ONLY SOME OF IT WAS RECYCLABLE.

EFFORTS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT PLASTIC ARE GROWING.

ARNOLD: EVERY SINGLE FILTER THAT'S IN HERE IS MADE OF A PLASTIC FIBER, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THAT.

NAWAZ: HERE, IN TYBEE ISLAND, GEORGIA, HIGH SCHOOLERS FROM NEARBY SAVANNAH CAME TO FIND OUT WHY PLASTIC IS SUCH A PROBLEM AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP.

AFTER A BRIEF LESSON IN HOW TO CLEAN A BEACH, THEY PICKED UP THEIR GEAR AND HEADED OUT TO HUNT FOR CIGARETTE BUTTS AND OTHER SMALL PIECES OF PLASTIC.

THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY, ON EASTER ISLAND, RESIDENTS HAVE FOUND ANOTHER WAY OF EDUCATING YOUNG PEOPLE.

MAHANI TEAVE GREW UP ON THE ISLAND BEFORE LEAVING TO BUILD HER CAREER AS AN INTERNATIONAL PIANIST.

NOW BACK HOME, SHE'S RUNNING A MUSIC SCHOOL, BUILT FROM GARBAGE.

TEAVE: 2,500 TIRES ARE IN THE WALLS.

40,000 GLASS BOTTLES, GLASS AND PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE IN THE WALLS.

WE HAVE THE SOLAR PANELS, WHICH PROVIDE THE ELECTRICITY.

NAWAZ: NOW, THE SCHOOL TRAINS MORE THAN 100 STUDENTS IN BOTH CLASSICAL AND TRADITIONAL MUSIC PASSED DOWN FROM RAPA NUI ANCESTORS.

TEAVE: THIS GARBAGE, IN A WAY, HAS BECOME LIKE IF YOU SEE THE WINDOWS, LIKE THE LITTLE BOTTLES HAVE BECOME LITTLE JEWELS.

AND IT'S IN A WAY YOU JUST FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT.

YOU SAY OK I'M DOING MY LITTLE, LITTLE GRAIN OF SAND TO HELP THIS PLACE BECOME, THIS PLANET BECOME YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THE WAY WE FOUND IT.

NAWAZ: FROM EASTER ISLAND TO TYBEE ISLAND, ONE THING IS CLEAR.

EVERYONE WE SPOKE TO OVER THE LAST YEAR AGREED, THE WILLINGNESS TO FIND SOLUTIONS EXISTS.

WHEN WE ASKED IF THE PLASTIC PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED, THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD.

COYNE: THIS IS NOT SOME RAREFIED SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLE THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO STRUGGLE WITH TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND.

THIS IS A NUTS AND BOLTS, INFRASTRUCTURE, JOBS, INVESTMENT, MARKETS, REGULATORY CHALLENGE THAT CAN BE SOLVED.

ROCHMAN: I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE ACROSS THE BOARD.

THAT'S GONNA BE HARD.

AND I THINK IT HAS TO INCLUDE REDUCING THE AMOUNT THAT WE'RE PRODUCING OR AT LEAST THE AMOUNT OF WASTE, HAVING BETTER WASTE MANAGEMENT THAT BUILDS MORE INTO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND CLEANUP.

AND I THINK WE NEED PEOPLE AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, THE CITIZENS AND THE INDUSTRY ALL WORKING TOGETHER IN ORDER TO DO IT.

PHEASEY: IF WE CAN SOLVE THE PLASTIC PROBLEM, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO MAKE AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE, NOT JUST TO TURTLES BUT TO THE ENTIRE MARINE ECOSYSTEM.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE RELY ON THE SEAS SO MUCH THAT IF WE DAMAGE THE SEAS TO THE POINT WHERE WE KILL THE SEAS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SURVIVE EITHER.

TEAVE: I THINK WE HAVE A CHANCE IN A WAY ON THIS ISLAND THAT HAS THE SAME ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AS THE REST OF THE WORLD.

IF WE CAN FIND SOLUTIONS HERE, THERE IS A HOPE FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.

GEYER: I FEEL THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE AT A POINT WHERE THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY SEE.

THERE IS REAL WILLINGNESS TO, CHANGE BEHAVIOR TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

AND I THINK THERE ARE MANY, MANY WAYS WE CAN DO IT THAT STILL ALLOW US TO HAVE THE GOOD LIFE.

NAWAZ: DO YOU THINK WE CAN FIX IT?

BELLA: YES!

NAWAZ: EXPERTS SAY IT WILL TAKE EVERYONE, AT EVERY LEVEL, GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS, WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS, WILL WE TAKE THOSE BIG STEPS TO BRING ABOUT BIG CHANGE AND ULTIMATELY FIX THE PLASTIC PROBLEM?