Plastisphere: A podcast on plastic pollution in the environment

The global plastics treaty is in the making, and the discussions around solutions to plastic pollution are gaining traction. To give you more food for thought, Anja tries out a new format, the Plastisphere Conversations with interesting people in the field. And this is the first one, with Sarah Perreard and Julien Boucher from the Plastic Overshoot project. Wait, isn’t it called the Earth Overshoot? Well, true - Sarah and Julien took inspiration from that. In 2023, the Plastic Overshoot Day falls on July 28th, and the calculations behind it reveal the different challenges for countries around the world. But first, Sarah and Julien tell us their own stories, which are very insightful when it comes to the issue and its solutions. Link to the Plastic Overshoot Day website and reports: https://plasticovershoot.earth/ Plastisphere is a research and interview podcast by Anja Krieger, published in the spirit of the gift economy. Please rate and review the podcast and support the production costs. PayPal: www.plastisphere.earth/support/ Subscribe: www.plastisphere.earth Follow regular updates on Mastodon: @[email protected] Follow occasional posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @PlastispherePod Theme song: Dorian Roy Cover art: Maren von Stockhausen Sound Effect CC-0 from Freesound: ttps://freesound.org/people/qubodup/sounds/182794/ Transcript: On request.

On March 2, 2022, countries from around the world agreed to establish a global treaty to end plastic pollution. After the first meetings in Senegal and Uruguay, the discussions around the treaty are in full swing. Next, the country’s representatives are heading to Paris, France, in May 2023. They’ll meet for the second session of the INC, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, which is the forum where the treaty is debated. After that, three more of these INC meetings are scheduled. If all goes well, the diplomats could agree on the plastics treaty at the final conference in the summer of 2025. So that’s the rough timeline – pretty ambitious, compared to how slow politics often move. But speed isn’t everything. How will the delegates make sure to actually get a treaty that tackles plastic pollution effectively, and in a fair way? Who gets a seat at the negotiating table, and who doesn’t? And what does the treaty need to contain and cover? In the past months, Anja asked scientists and experts to send her their thoughts and demands. In this episode, you’ll get to hear messages from Richard Thompson, Bethany Carney Almroth, Sonia Dias, Tridibesh Dey, Martin Wagner, Trisia Farrelly, Rebecca Altman and Lesley Henderson. Plastisphere is a research and interview podcast by Anja Krieger, published in the spirit of the gift economy. Please rate and review the podcast and support the production costs via PayPal: https://plastisphere.earth/support/ Transcript with links to music and sources: https://anjakrieger.com/plastisphere/2023/05/12/ep13-plastictreaty/ Subscribe: www.plastisphere.earth Theme song: Dorian Roy Music: Blue Dot Sessions www.sessions.blue/ UNEP video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28mNomsFsFY UNEP video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_GSIL0lLDs Thanks for kind permission, additional audio and images to Miranda Grant, Ahmed Yusuf and the UNEP press team. Cover art: Maren von Stockhausen Thanks to: Baldeep Kaur Follow regular updates on Mastodon: @[email protected] Follow occasional posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @PlastispherePod

Baldeep Kaur is a doctoral fellow at the University of Potsdam, studying the afterlives of discarded colonial technologies. Last November, they invited Plastisphere creator Anja Krieger to a live listening session at the Minor Cosmopolitan Assembly, an event organized by the research training group with the same name. Together with the audience, Baldeep and Anja listened to and discussed short excerpts from the podcast's episodes, each highlighting a different dimension of human relationships with plastics at various stages of their life-cycles. Hear more about the production process and behind-the-scenes research stories from both sides, that of the podcast producer and that of the listener. Recorded November 12, 2022, at Silent Green in Wedding, Berlin, Germany Note: The original recording was 85 minutes, this is a 30 minute edited version. More about Baldeep: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/minorcosmopolitanisms/team/fellows/baldeep-kaur-grewal More about Minor Cosmopolitanisms: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/minorcosmopolitanisms/ More Plastisphere excerpts (event page): https://anjakrieger.com/plastisphere/podcast-excerpts/ Music: Dorian Roy (Theme), Blue Dot Sessions (Excerpts) Literature mentioned: - "Pollution is Colonialism" by Max Liboiron of CLEAR lab: https://civiclaboratory.nl/publications/ - "Wasteocene" by Marco Armiero: https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/abs/wasteocene/714CA45E810E6437D5EBB4B71E6C8F71 Special thanks to - Sofia Varino for co-organizing the event. https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/minorcosmopolitanisms/team/fellows/sofia-varino - Yael Attia and Kathleen Samson for setting up the recording. Check out their own podcast, Minor Constellations: https://minor.hypotheses.org/podcast - Lucas Jenss (photos), Abiral Kumar(lights), Sofie Fingado(sound)and Ricarda Theobald (door) for making this event possible.

A new guest episode to inspire your ears, mind and heart, kindly shared by Upstream. Plastic pollution is not just a waste issue. It starts with production, continues during use, and in the end, a lot of it ends up dumped or in the environment. But the problems plastics cause from production to disposal are not distributed equally. They impact some communities more than others, especially those already at a disadvantage and with little political power. One of the people fighting this environmental injustice is Tiza Mafira. She’s a lawyer and environmental activist from Jakarta, Indonesia, and one of the heroes of the documentary “The Story of Plastic”. She recently met up with Matt Prindiville on The Indisposable Podcast, a show produced by Upstream, a US-based non-profit. Hope you enjoy their conversation as much as I did! About Upstream: Upstream is a US-based non-profit organization that sparks innovative solutions to plastic pollution by helping people, businesses and communities shift from single-use to reuse. They are conveners, content creators and curators, and solutions ideators – all in the interest of helping to advance a new reuse economy. Some of their offerings include several networks and forums for policymakers, activists, and businesses; Chart Reuse – a first-in-industry foodware reuse analytics platform - and the Annual Reuse Awards, The Reusies®, live and streaming online on June 7, 2023. Learn more at www.upstreamsolutions.org, www.chartreuse.eco, and www.thereusies.org. Link to the episode page https://upstreamsolutions.org/podcast/story-of-plastic-in-indonesia Mentions and links: Tiza Mafira: https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/people/tiza-mafira/ Plastic Bag Diet Movement: https://dietkantongplastik.info/tentang-kami/ The Story of Plastic Doc https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/the-story-of-plastic-documentary-film/ Stiv Wilson: https://peakplasticfoundation.org/ Break Free from Plastic: https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/ BFFP Brand Audits: https://brandaudit.breakfreefromplastic.org/ Froilan "Froi" Grate: http://www.froilangrate.com/ Plastic Island Doc https://www.netflix.com/de-en/title/81597205 PR3 with Amy Larkin: https://www.resolve.ngo/blog/Meet-the-PR3-Team.htm Algramo: https://algramo.com/en/

Remember our episode a few months ago on the history of the plastics treaty? To recap: In March, the United Nations Environmental Assembly decided to negotiate a global agreement to tackle plastic pollution. The ambitious plan is to develop a binding treaty covering the full lifecycle of plastics within the next two years, by 2024. This week, this process is moving forward at an international meeting in Uruguay. From November 28 to December 2nd 2022, the first session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee – INC1 for short – will take place in the city of Punta del Elste. Anja will be sharing updates on Mastodon, where you find her as @ plastisphere @ podcasts.social. Here on the audio feed, we present an introduction of what’s to expect in Uruguay - a guest episode by the Environmental Investigation Agency, a Nongovernmental Organization involved in the plastic treaty negotiations. Their podcast ahead of INC1 in Uruguay is really insightful, and they kindly shared it with us. Link to the podcast website: https://eia-international.org/news/eia-podcast-what-can-we-expect-from-negotiations-for-the-first-global-plastics-treaty/ Thanks to EIA Ocean Campaign Leader Christina Dixon, EIA Ocean Campaigner Jacob Kean-Hammerson and EIA Senior Press and Communication Officer and podcast host Paul Newman for sharing this episode.

We can’t be the only ones responsible for plastic pollution. It’s time for producers and distributors of disposable plastic to take responsibility for where their packaging goes. Plastisphere presents an episode from Sustainable Asia’s “Mapping Asia’s Plastic Crisis” series on producer responsibility and packaging design, featuring experts from Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore, hosted and produced by Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au. Transcript: https://anjakrieger.com/plastisphere/2022/05/01/plastisphere-presents-sustainable-asia-producer-responsibility-and-packaging-design/ Guests: Helen Panangung, Von Hernandez, Miko Alino, Ashwin Subramaniam Music: Sustainable Asia theme: Alexander Mauboussin, Blue Dot Sessions www.sessions.blue/, Plastisphere Theme: Dorian Roy Thanks to: Lili Fuhr, Clemens Kunze, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Berlin/Hong Kong Video credit: Break Free From Plastic Philippines Project Updates on Twitter: @SustainableAsia Listen to more podcasts from Sustainable Asia here: - in English: https://www.sustainableasia.co/listen-in-english/ - in Chinese: https://www.sustainableasia.co/chinese/

Eight years after first flagging plastics as an issue, the United Nations Environment Assembly met in March 2022 for a historic decision. Delegates from more than 170 nations agreed on a mandate to put together a legally binding global plastics treaty within the next two years. Despite some lobbying against it behind the scenes, the draft for a strong resolution prevailed with just a few cuts. The treaty can now cover plastic pollution across the full lifecycle of the material, from production to consumption and disposal. Learn more about the path that led up to this landmark decision from Brooke Bauman, who hosts this episode of Plastisphere. She explores the concept of waste colonialism and compares the impacts of recycling and incineration in conversation with Alexis McGivern and Claire Arkin of GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives). Transcript with videos, links and photos from Kenya by James Wakibia: https://anjakrieger.com/plastisphere/2022/03/12/transcript-ep12-plastics-treaty/ Plastisphere is a research podcast by Anja Krieger. Brooke Bauman reported this episode, based on episode 3 of her “Guilty Plastics” series: Go to https://soundcloud.com/guiltyplastics to hear more. You can support our production via www.plastisphere.earth/support/ Guest voices: Alexis McGivern, Claire Arkin Thanks to: Kevin Fisher, Nils Simon, Karen Raubenheimer, Baldeep Kaur Grewal, Eva Vander Giessen, Tridibesh Dey, Luisa Beck, Inés Blaesius and all the Plastic Tweeps Subscribe: www.plastisphere.earth
 Music: Dorian Roy and Blue Dot Sessions www.sessions.blue/ Cover art: Maren von Stockhausen

 Updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: PlastispherePod

Plastisphere is back with Brooke and Anja! For the tenth anniversary of #PlasticFreeJuly, we dive into solutions to plastic pollution. Hear about Anja’s waste audit and DIY projects during the pandemic year, from home-made milk and laundry detergent to fresh pasta. Making stuff from scratch can be fun and empowering, but what’s the impact of these lifestyle changes? Anja’s packaging bin is a bit lighter now, but still full of plastic - far away from the ideals of Zero Waste. How much influence do individual consumers really have on a systemic issue like plastic pollution? And what are possible scenarios for tackling plastic pollution in the coming years on a global scale? Hear more from biologist Stephanie Borrelle. Transcript with videos and links: https://anjakrieger.com/plastisphere/2021/07/30/ep-11-transcript/ BONUS TRACK: How to make your own barista oat milk with Dorian and Luisa: https://soundcloud.com/plastisphere-podcast/barista-oat-milk-recipe Learn how to turn horse chestnuts into laundry detergent with Shia Su: https://wastelandrebel.com/en/make-laundry-detergent-out-of-chestnuts/ Read more about future scenarios to tackle plastic waste on a systemic scale: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6510/1515 Plastisphere is a research podcast by German audio producer Anja Krieger. Brooke Bauman is the co-host and assistant editor for this episode. Support the production: https://plastisphere.earth/support/ Guest voices: Stephanie Borrelle, Kate Nelson, Dorian and Luisa Thanks to: Wastelandrebel Shia Su, Lisa Bryan for the oat milk recipe Subscribe: www.plastisphere.earth
 Music: Dorian Roy and Blue Dot Sessions www.sessions.blue/ Cover art: Maren von Stockhausen

 Updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: PlastispherePod

Take a break from plastics to explore the soil - a hidden world beneath your feet. It's the world of earthworms, springtails, fungi, and bacteria. We hardly ever see these little creatures, but their impacts are huge. Soil stores more carbon than the atmosphere and all plants together, filters water, is pivotal for biodiversity and at the center of agriculture and food security. This winter, Anja Krieger, host of Plastisphere, teams up with soil biologist Matthias Rillig and his lab to bring you "Life in the Soil", a podcast mini-series supported by the BiodivERsA research network. Tune in to hear more from some of the world’s best soil scientists, starting World Soil Day, December 5, 2020. Learn more and subscribe: https://rilliglab.org/podcast/ Platforms iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-in-the-soil/id1541030670 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mrillig Produced by: Anja Krieger and the Rillig Lab https://rilliglab.org Experts quoted in this teaser: Madhav Thakur, Bala Chaudhary, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Johannes Lehmann, Matthias Rillig Theme music: Sunfish Moon Light/Future Ecologies https://www.futureecologies.net Cover art: Maren von Stockhausen http://marenvonstockhausen.de Funded by: Digging Deeper/BiodivERsA https://www.biodiversa.org

When it comes to solving the issue of plastic pollution, who would you say is responsible? Is it individuals like you and me, is it the corporations that produce plastics or products made from it, or is it the government with its rules and regulations? That’s the question Brooke Bauman asks in her 4-part podcast series “Guilty Plastics”. Brooke is a student in environmental science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an amazing young audio storyteller. Anja chats with Brooke about plastic pollution, and you’ll get to listen to a special edit of Guilty Plastics. It features environmental activist Rob Greenfield, who grows his own food to avoid packaging, and chemistry professor David Tyler with a surprising answer to the question: Paper bag or plastic bag? You can listen to all 4 parts of Brooke’s series here: https://soundcloud.com/guiltyplastics The Plastisphere is a research and interview podcast by German freelance journalist Anja Krieger. Transcript: https://anjakrieger.com/plastisphere/2020/07/27/ep10-transcript/ Subscribe: www.plastisphere.earth Updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: PlastispherePod Music: Dorian Roy and Blue Dot Sessions www.sessions.blue/ Cover art: Maren von Stockhausen