5 Documentaries You Should Watch After War On Waste (1/5)

A Plastic Ocean (2016) by Craig Leeson

Let’s begin with some interesting facts. The oceans cover 71% percent of the Earth’s surface and store 97% of its water. Now, that’s a lot, isn’t it.

Over a half of all the oxygen we breathe is produced by the oceans. No, it’s not the trees and forests as you may think - it's the oceans. And they provide habitat for estimated one million species of animals and plants from which not all of them have even been discovered yet. The oceans are home to some of the world’s most fascinating creatures, such as sharks, dolphins, whales, and corals - but they also provide habitat for water birds and many others. Isn’t that amazing?

But here's a chilling fact: eight million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans every year. Yes, you're reading that right, eight thousand thousand thousand kilograms of plastic! On top of that, global per-capita fish consumption is rapidly rising every year (20 kg in 2016). We're basically eating the ocean clean and filling the rest with waste. And that’s not all. If you want to experience the ocean in its true beauty, watch the BBC documentary series Oceans. If you want to encounter its dark side, watch the award-winning documentary A Plastic Ocean.

If you are in Sydney, don’t miss our one-off ShareWaste hosted screening in Dendy Newtown on Wednesday, July 19. Come see for yourself why this film has been described by David Attenborough as “the most important film of our time”. Book your ticket here.