Trashed: The Secret Life of Plastic Exports

An ABC News investigation involving hidden tracking devices follows three plastic bags dropped off at Walmart recycling bins in the U.S. all the way to controversial plastic facilities in Southeast Asia.

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[melaniefoster]

We have to go back to glass, paper, and aluminum packaging. And stop with individually wrapped items. This is sickening and not a new problem.

[Hello-its-Me-]

I'm glad Matt & ABC team is shining a light on this. Great investigating research on this topic that people tend to turn a blind eye to. If our oceans & marine life could speak. The thing it would tell us all. Plastic doesn't just disappear it goes somewhere. Just like trash & tires.

[jtempleton]

Thank you for producing this video and exposing the corruption in this industry. 🙏👏

[cleopatrasnile]

The focal point at 23:16 is the origin of plastics production, as highlighted. Nina Butler emphasizes in her interview that our fixation on recycling is excessive, whereas the real issue lies in overproduction. There should be a greater emphasis on urging industries involved in plastic manufacturing and companies utilizing plastics to invest in innovative technology and transition away from plastic usage.

[rjazam]

That’s terrible! Girl! I’m so sorry that the US is one of the countries that dump and destroy your village. This is really horrible, I always recycle in NY, and feel so stupid now to believe that I was helping the environment by not throwing it in regular trash… This is really unfair and terrible that companies feel so entitled to just dump things to third-world countries … All countries are affected by this because this is our planet! Dumping on the other side of the world doesn’t solve anything!

[mfwagged]

An enormous thank you for the brave and compassionate investigative journalist team members at ABC News who worked so hard and long to produce this. America is the world's largest oil and gas producer of which the global plastic packaging and production industry sources 90% or more of the raw materials from. We desperately demand change and reduction of this industry, upstream at the producer and manufacturer level. For decades, individual consumers have been blamed for the global and growing plastic waste deluge when in truth its the product and packaging manufacturers and oil and gas industry who need to be regulated, regularly monitored, and held accountable.

[chinookvalley]

I've offered to buy butcher paper for our local grocery store meat market to use instead of Styrofoam and plastic wrap. I've offered to buy or bring in paper feed bags to buy my dog food from our local feed store. I've offered to bring in my own glass containers to buy honey, herbs, juices, and other food and supplemental goods. NO ONE IS ALLOWED to let me use my own containers, as it is against corporate policy. I've been fighting this for 50 years, and it still continues. Petro wins again.

[clee]

ABC, please publish the names of exporters who lie about the contents in shipping containers. It's a great investigation, but it falls short just there.

[MarfelsLifel]

Not only is our garbage shipped around the world, it is often washed w/our precious water before being put in the recycle bin -before it is burned…😢😢😢

[CliftonBowers-pcxu]

Sue dupont union carbide and Monsanto...

[drivera]

Hi Matt,
As part of your investigation you should verify if the same issue is happening with the plastic recover from the ocean by the nonprofit organization named The Ocean Cleanup. It would be absurd to spend millions cleaning up the massive plastic patch in the Pacific, only for the plastic to return or affect other water bodies. How costly would it end up being? How much would be spent on a bottle that would go through that entire process? 🧐

[davidtate]

Why can't us deal with the waste. So incompetent.. us is .

[ThraxMan]

I don't recycle because I know more often than not, it doesn't go where it's supposed to go. I will say there is a lot of unnecessary packaging. Why does organic eggs need plastic cartons?

[MarfelsLifel]

The stores in my area do not have paper OPTION anymore -ONLY EXTRA EXTRA T H I C K

[YougoGlenCoco-]

Watching this documentary rn on tv. It’s so disheartening how our nation is not caring about the health & environmental outcomes of citizens here nor people abroad. I do appreciate the interviewer, he tries to hold some people accountable & he’s very quick witted when people are blowing smoke. Really well made doc.

[catsmeow]

Plastic makes great aggregate for concrete block. The bricks are very strong compared to bricks not using plastic. I see a lot of solutions to problems but the solutions aren't implemented! There is a sand and concrete shortage the solution will help! Slow to implement.

[olivierb]

i work for a plastic company in europ.
first, you have only reusible bags from supermarket, the most are in others materials than plastic.
seconds, my factory use a lot of reusible plastic, the problem is, the reusible platic is often more expensive than virgin plastic, ironic.
third, our reusible plastic is from others country, far, far away (asia, africa).
and, don't forget, some plastic are not reusible at all, like ps for example.

[qreecpy]

Use less plastic, it's not being recycled.

[dahliagarcia]

This is real THIS Is The Real Reporting I Know ABC
Is Know For
This Is The Kind Of Investigative Reporting
20/20 Was
Well Known For

[CliftonBowers-pcxu]

She'll be fired immediately I'm calling Bentonville immediately...my pleasure..