Featured Story
“We are the sacrifice zones”
From petrochemical plants in Texas, to negotiating a global plastics treaty in Paris. Communities living near facilities that make the key ingredients for plastic are bringing their fight to the world stage.
News
In Focus: Deer Park, Texas residents continue to fear for their health and safety
It might feel as though the community of Deer Park, Texas is a world away from the discussion table in Paris where international delegates are meeting this week to negotiate a Global Plastics Treaty. But for residents in this largely Latino and Hispanic community, any decisions coming out of those talks are certain to have […]
Analysis: What Deer Park Teaches Us About The Petrochemical Industry
Today marks the two-week anniversary of the massive fire at Shell's Deer Park Chemicals Plant in Texas. A lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in damages has been filed against Shell by a worker who was injured because of the blaze. Among other claims, the lawsuit states Shell was grossly negligent and failed to properly […]
All Eyes On The Gulf: A Series That Brings You Into The Heart Of Frontline Communities
People over Plastic is dedicating a special series of stories to America’s Gulf South. This is a region where some of the nation’s most pressing environmental injustices play out every day. The Gulf Coast in particular is a crucial petrochemical hub consisting of at least 55 major chemical plants. This is also where one-fifth of […]
Like a Band-Aid on a bullet hole
Carbon capture technology won’t be enough to reduce pollution created by proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) project While the world is moving away from building new fossil fuel developments, a company in Texas has its sights on constructing a new one. The developer NextDecade wants to build a $10-billion dollar liquefied natural gas (or LNG) […]
Grassroots Glossary
Environmental Justice is a term we often see in the headlines these days whether it’s connected to a groundbreaking lawsuit here in the U.S., or a group of nations struggling to confront the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. Environmental Justice is such a pressing matter in our modern society that even the Biden administration […]
EPA Proposal will Curb Chemical Plant Emissions
For years, communities living near petrochemical industries have fought to have their voices heard and it seems those years of advocacy are paying off. On April 6th, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to curb the emissions of chemical plants in the hope of protecting the public. The proposal would see a 6,000-ton […]
Podcasts
Season 2, Trailer
People Over Plastic Presents Season 2 Trailer “Waste Mafia”
We invite you on a journey to show you how waste moves throughout our world, across oceans and continents, through organized crime and black markets. Join our co-founder and host, Shilpi Chhotray, as she meets with courageous individuals around the globe to learn what’s really happening when it comes to the business of waste.season-2
Season 3, Trailer
People over Plastic Season Three Podcast Trailer - with Prism
People over Plastic is thrilled to join forces with Prism to launch apodcast docuseries that centers on personal stories from five U.S. communities disproportionately impacted by climate change, plastic pollution, and society’s most pressing environmental injustices.season-3
Season 1, Episode 6
Still in My Backyard
In our season finale, we discuss how the exclusion of BIPOC voices in mainstream narratives on both the climate and plastic pollution crisis have majorly hindered efforts to build a more just and equitable world. Leading environmental activist Von Hernandez, environmental justice campaigner, Yvette Arellano, and climate policy expert Tiza Mafira break down the multi-layered issues of plastic pollution, climate change, human health, and its links to environmental racism.season-1
Season 2, Episode 5
Not A Coincidence
All air is not created equal. This is something you understand once you learn that 80% of incinerators are located in low-income communities of color. In our season finale, we have an unforgettable conversation with Shashawnda Campbell, a community organizer in South Baltimore’s Curtis Bay neighborhood. Shashawnda has been fighting for environmental justice since she was in high school when she led fellow students in a victory to shut down the largest incinerator proposal in US history set to be built less than a mile away from their school.season-2
Season 1, Episode 5
Reprogramming the Root
In episode five, we will dig deeper into the role of Indigenous culture and traditions and how pivotal it is to recognize their leadership in building a more inclusive and climate resilient future. Stories by Indigenous climate justice leader Frankie Orona, and award-winning Indian artist, Shilo Shiv Suleman.season-1
Season 3, Episode 5
The Prologue
In our season finale, we have the immense honor to chat with Bernadette Demientieff, a Gwich’in Tribal leader fighting to protect her community’s cultural identity and traditional way of life. The Gwich’in Indian Nation considers the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge “the sacred place where life begins”, an ecological hotspot in constant threat of oil and gas development.season-3
Season 2, Episode 4
Ropa Americana
In episode four, we’re tackling fast fashion on the move. Chile’s Atacama desert has become a fashion graveyard for the world’s unwanted clothes. Every year, nearly 59,000 tons of clothing arrive in Chile’s Iquique port from Europe, Asia, and the United States. Santiago-based circular economy expert Marcela Godoy shares the hard truth behind the underbelly of fast fashion and how plastic clothing is destroying the driest desert in the world.season-2
Season 1, Episode 4
Bag Bans and Border Wall
As we continue to learn, decisions are being made about people of color and indigenous communities, with very little understanding about their lived experiences. In episode four, we discuss the intersectional nature of environmental justice and its relationship to social justice and racial justice with two women resisting Big Plastic. Trump border wall plaintiff and river protractor, Tricia Cortez, and Malawian activist and policy expert, Gloria Majiga-Kamoto.season-1
Season 3, Episode 4
Not My Mainland
Join us in conversation with Josh Mori, an activist for traditional Hawaiian farming and food sovereignty located in West Kauaʻi. Josh's insights on restorative justice is powerful. His lived experience as an indigenous farmer resisting the agribusiness industry is a testament to his ancestral roots - shaped by a deep connection to the land, sea, and soil.season-3
Season 2, Episode 3
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Illegal dumping is skyrocketing in urban areas across the United States. This harmful practice is inflicting grave economic and environmental injustices on the cities’ most vulnerable populations. In episode three, we talk to Ken Houston, a passionate third generation resident of Oakland, California, who takes us into the heart of Oakland and opens our eyes to the harms of illegal dumping on low-income communities of color and the unhoused.season-2
Season 1, Episode 3
Community Lunchbox
In episode three, two innovative entrepreneurs tell us how they are decolonizing mainstream narratives about zero waste. Founder and CEO of Zero Grocery, Zuleyka Strasnar, and spokesperson for the Mumbai Dabbawalas, Ritesh Andre. As their stories demonstrate, zero-waste started thousands of years ago in communities of color with deep ancestral roots.season-1
Season 3, Episode 3
The First Responder
In “The First Responder,” we have a timely conversation about climate change and deep-rooted systemic racism with community organizer, David Heppard. David is the Executive Director of the Freedom Project Washington - a Seattle-based organization that works to dismantle the system of mass incarceration and heal its traumatic effects.season-3
Season 2, Episode 2
How The Hell Did It Get HERE?
When you think about your country’s top exports, do you think of garbage? In episode two, we hear the touching personal story of John Simon, a Filipino Bureau of Customs Official who has dedicated his 30-year career to ensuring foreign trash is not illegally smuggled into his country.season-2
Season 1, Episode 2
If you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu
In episode two, we take a deep dive into the core elements of environmental justice and why it matters from two environmental leaders working at the intersection of plastic pollution, climate change, and human health. PoP’s co-founder and EarthJustice VP of Litigation, Patrice Simms, and Filipino zero waste activist, Froilan Grate.season-1
Season 3, Episode 2
The Hot Seat
In this week's episode we visit Atlanta, Georgia, to chat with Jacqueline Echols about “Cop City.” Jacqueline is a long-time ecologist and nature lover who's fighting the development of a police training facility in Atlanta's South River Forest.season-3
Season 2, Episode 1
From Brooklyn to Chinatown
We’re back with Season 2! First up, our host Shilpi Chhotray meets with Pierre Simmons, an NYC-based musician, and canner, who shares his personal story about becoming a canner and how he creates a living from the empty glass, plastic bottles, and cans lying on the street that often go overlooked.season-2
Season 1, Episode 1
99%
In our inaugural episode, you’ll hear from two unlikely voices demanding industry accountability when it comes to the plastic pollution crisis. Retired special needs teacher and community organizer, Miss Sharon Lavigne, and viral artist, Von Wong. 99% of plastic comes from oil and gas, and plastic production is a major driver of keeping the fossil fuel industry afloat.season-1
