We live in the age of plastic. Plastics are the tools of our time; without them, modern society would not exist. However, what we leave behind is waste that endures in the environment for eternity. In just 30 years, there is expected to be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Even today, plastic production and waste account for more than 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions—more than entire countries.

The beneficiaries of the plastic crisis accept this reality. The oil industry, chemical corporations, and the most well-known brands in the world are dependent on plastic. They have built their business models on waste. And they plan to establish even more plastic factories, aiming to sell more products in single-use packaging—in countries where plastic is hardly collected or recycled.

These corporations know that recycling alone will not solve the problem. Nevertheless, they forge powerful alliances to continue fueling the hope for a circular economy. They evade bans and deploy their entire lobbying power to make single-use plastics appear greener. This leads to even more waste that will envelop our planet. This addiction harms us all. A detox is necessary.

Jacqueline Goebel and Benedict Wermter have researched the plastic industry and circular economy for years. They brutally expose the methods and problems of the industry—and explain how we can finally escape the plastic crisis.