Plastic on Trial | Sumona Majumdar | TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch

Industry Trend & Problem Statement - The plastic industry faces a growing problem of plastic pollution in air, water, and bodies, similar to past issues with tobacco, asbestos, and lead paint [2] - Litigation is presented as a tool to address the plastic pollution crisis, drawing parallels to successful lawsuits against tobacco, asbestos, and lead paint industries [3][4][5] Litigation Strategies & Impact - Lawsuits are being used across the plastic lifecycle, from production to disposal, to stop harm, require truth, shift responsibility, and force a reckoning with plastic's true costs [6][7][8][9][10] - Lawsuits aim to expose truths, build public narratives, and reframe issues from personal to systemic, influencing public opinion and policy [6][5] - Consumer protection lawsuits challenge companies' claims of harmless or eco-friendly products, forcing honesty and material changes [8] - Public nuisance cases are filed against major corporations like Coke and Pepsi for the costs of cleaning up their plastic products, shifting responsibility from taxpayers [9] Complementary Tools & Future Outlook - Litigation needs to be paired with science, technology, policy, communications, and coalition building for enduring change [11] - The goal is to create a world free of plastic pollution by 2040, as inevitable as smokefree air [12]