Are you looking for informative and impressive films and documentaries about plastic waste? Then you've come to the right place. Every year, around 1,000,000 seabirds and 135,000 marine mammals die as a result of contact with our plastic waste.₁ Plastic waste in the environment is a massive problem. Because we are producing more and more of it, we are not using it consciously - and because the plastic is not biodegradable. Awareness of this problem can be raised with in-depth plastic waste documentaries and films.
In this post, I will therefore give you 10 inspiring documentaries about plastic waste and show you where you can watch them online for free. You can watch some of them directly here or on YouTube.
The ten best documentaries and films about plastic waste
The problem with plastic is one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. As awful as it is, the cool thing about it is that it's such a highly visible problem - as long as you keep the subject of Microplastics is left out of the equation. The following documentaries and films are also particularly impressive and instructive because you can see the mountains of waste directly.
1. Werner Boote - Plastic Planet
This movie opened my eyes in its 90 minutes. Werner Boote shows so impressively how plastic is a real problem in all parts of our planet. Risk to the environment, humans and animals is. In my opinion, an absolute "must-see" for anyone who wants to deal with the topic of plastic. You can also show this educational film to children at school.
Where can you see this plastic waste movie? For example on the Website of the Federal Agency for Civic Education.
2. y-collective - recycling myths and illegal plastic exports, what's the truth?
This documentary is mainly about how the Plastic waste exported from Germany to other countries and, at the same time, improves our recycling rates. To show the extent of this, the two reporters Patrick and Dennis Weinert travel to an Indonesian village where German waste is found.
Where can you watch this plastic waste documentary? Here in the YouTube video embedded above.
3. planet e. - The plastic curse: How we are littering our planet
This film by "planet e." is dedicated to the question "Are we suffocating in plastic?" and sheds light on the development of plastic consumption in our society. In order to find out more about the problem of plastic in the sea, activists, scientists and water sports enthusiasts were accompanied. The topic Microplastics in the sea becomes clear here.
Where can you see this plastic waste documentary? You can watch it in the ZDF Mediathek, for example. (unfortunately not available forever)
4. STRG_F - Plastic waste from Nestlé and Co. - Searching the sea
If you want to see stark and impressive images of plastic waste in the environment and the sea, this documentary is for you. The reporters Tobias and David were on the Philippinesto show the extent of the problem. To get to the bottom of the matter, they have also Responsible persons of the largest corporations confrontedwhich are mainly responsible for the masses of waste in the environment.
Where can you watch this plastic waste documentary? Here in the YouTube video embedded above.
5. WDR - Plastic everywhere: How do we stop the waste problem?
A film that highlights plastic consumption and, above all, the Plastic recycling in Germany. The reporters also visited a waste sorting plant in Krefeld and show exactly what is important in recycling and what the major challenges are. The Ways to avoid waste shown. Absolutely recommendable!
Where can you see this plastic waste documentary? You can use them for example watch in the WDR Mediathek. (unfortunately not available forever)
6th Fascination Knowledge - Plastics: Success Story or Time Bomb?
This 30-minute documentary about plastic waste takes a scientific approach to the problem, focusing in particular on the Material Plastic. In this movie you will learn more about the Decomposition and the Advantages and Disadvantages of plastics.
Where can you see this plastic waste documentary? Here in the YouTube video embedded above.
7th NDR - Plastic in every wave - Surfing in the ocean garbage dump
Kitesurfing pro Mario Rodwald is the protagonist of this plastic waste documentary and impressively shows how much waste he finds in the sea every day. For this he is in actual surfer's paradise on the Indonesian island of Ambon. An enlightening, educational film - also for children at school.
Where can you see this plastic waste movie? For example on the NDR website.
8th PULS Report - Plastic waste: What are the benefits of recycling?
In this free YouTube documentary, Sebastian Meinberg and Nadine Hadad shed light on the German recycling system for plastic waste. The documentary shows the Everyday life in recycling plants and which plastic products can be recycled particularly well and which cannot be recycled at all. In just under 18 minutes, the documentary gives a really good insight - absolutely recommended!
Where can you watch this plastic waste documentary? Here in the YouTube video embedded above.
9. Plastic Oceans Foundation - A Plastic Ocean
Journalist Craig Lesson was actually just looking for a blue whale. But the large amount of plastic waste led him to investigate various places in the world's oceans together with scientists and divers in order to find out more about the problem. The movie shows impressively, how our oceans are doing - absolute film recommendation!
Where can you see this plastic waste movie? For example, on Netflix.
10th NDR documentary - Plastic: The business with waste
This documentary is mainly about the Dealing with plastic in our everyday lives. In just under 45 minutes, the film sheds light on the entire Plastic circuit and also shows solutions in the fight against the environmental problem of plastic waste. Highly recommended!
Where can you watch this plastic waste documentary? Again, here in the YouTube video embedded above.
Documentaries about plastic waste - raising awareness and sharing
In order to solve the waste problem in the long term, it is important to create a greater awareness of waste avoidance in our society. These documentaries and films with their unmistakable images definitely contribute to this. Feel free to share this article or the individual films with others to help raise awareness.
Here are some further articles and recommendations on the subject of plastic waste and waste avoidance:
- Plastic free living - tips & tricks
- My book Plastic-free for beginners
- Plastic-free in the kitchen
- Zero Waste Online Course "30 Days To Zero Waste".
Do you have any other recommendations for inspiring documentaries about plastic waste? Then just write me a comment with your tips.
Stay clean,
PS: In addition to documentaries about plastic waste, there is also a whole series of Documentaries about the meat industry and vegan nutrition. In the linked post, you'll find a whole bunch of recommendations on this.
References:
₁ NABU - Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V.: Plastic waste and its consequences. https://www.nabu.de/natur-und-landschaft/meere/muellkippe-meer/muellkippemeer.html. [09.04.2020].
Hi, thanks for the list!
I would like to add 2 documentaries that are also very well done.
45Min The plastic threat
It can be seen on YouTube and it is also intended as an educational film for schools, universities, etc., to raise awareness of the subject; the license can be purchased for about 50€.
Although the film is from 2015, I think it is more current in concept than some new documentaries.
Another very good film, currently in the ARD-Mediathek is the film Plastikland Deutschland.
The filmmaker has also made the film 45 Min - The Truth About Fur and basically makes films about environmental issues and problems.
Take a look at both of them?!
LG Ena