“Plastics,” said the character in the movie The Graduate. “There’s a great future in plastics.” Today we understand how plastics degrade the environment. However, in 1988, research was just beginning to show the damage plastics could bring, from plastics bags and six-pack rings in the ocean to bottles clogging drainage areas and sea animals ingesting bits of plastic. In this pioneering documentary, producer Vicki Monks takes us through the research known at the time, including studies that showed that plastic will survive in aquatic conditions for hundreds of years. Today, as more and more landfills and seas are polluted with plastic, the warnings from those early researchers still ring true. Plastics: Here Today, Here Tomorrow won the 1989 Environment Award from the Prix d’Italia.

The Soundprint documentary series features the best work of top radio producers. The award winning documentaries are renowned for drawing the listener into the story with compelling interviews, authentic voices and rich sound. From memoirs to science, health and popular culture, Soundprint creates a powerful experience the listener will not soon forget. Here are some related Soundprint documentaries:

The Evolution Boomerang Produced by: Soundprint Staff

Surviving Extinction Produced by: Soundprint Staff

Soundprint Executive Producer: Bill Siemering

Producer: Moira Rankin

Audio Engineer: Anna Maria de Freitas

Associate Producer: Amy Zeirler