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“This is journalism at its finest. It’s a breathtaking and revelatory exposé about one of the world’s most reckless industries — and also a fascinating secret history of the modern world.”
— CHRISTOPHER LEONARD,
New York Times-bestselling author of Kochland and The Lords of Easy Money
Plastic, the foundational material of modern consumerism, is everywhere in our daily lives. But the oil and petrochemical companies making it are hiding in plain sight. Because for all the vivid coverage of where plastic ends up, there is remarkably little discussion of where it comes from.
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Today, industry is pouring billions of dollars into plans to double, or even triple, the amount it churns out, even as individuals concerned about plastic’s out-of-control proliferation try to use less. As Big Oil stares down a future of diminishing demand for fossil fuels, plastic has become its financial lifeline.
“It is impossible not to compare Beth Gardiner’s Plastic Inc. to Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. This is a shocking and necessary book that unpacks the history, the science, the hazards, and the relentless marketing of the most pernicious and ubiquitous substance ever conceived—and sold—by modern industry.”
— JOHN VAILLANT,
author of Pulitzer Prize finalist Fire Weather
“A powerful account of how commercial interests have conspired to keep the world awash in waste. Plastic Inc. is deeply researched, sharply written, and totally compelling.”
— ELIZABETH KOLBERT,
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction
“Beth Gardiner has written my favorite kind of non-fiction: a readable, scrupulous and fascinating book that strips away lies and obfuscation to show what's really happening in the world.”
– OLIVER BULLOUGH,
author of Moneyland
“Gripping and essential reading! A frightening insight into how Big Plastic rivals Big Food in becoming the new global threat to our health and our planet.”
– TIM SPECTOR,
author of Spoon-Fed and Food for Life
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