Event 20

Beth Gardiner - Plastic Inc - Big Oil, Big Money and the Plan to Trash Our Future

In her new book journalist Beth Gardiner looks at our love-hate relationship with one of the world’s most ubiquitous materials. Praised by the New York Times as “a compelling true-crime story”, Gardiner’s deep dive exposes how petrochemical giants have turned to plastic as a financial lifeline, plotting to double production even as individuals are encouraged to use less. Gardiner reveals how corporate litter campaigns cleverly shifted guilt onto consumers, and why the “myth” of recycling plastic effectively has been promoted despite industry knowledge that it can’t work at scale. Author and green campaigner Julia Hailes chairs a revelatory discussion.