Plastic and Racism

In response to the horrific racially-motivated events and subsequent reckoning that certainly raised my consciousness in 2020, I decided to contribute to the discussion by exploring subject matter relevant to my profession.

I choose the intersection of plastic and racism. Plastic and racism might seem like an unlikely pairing. In fact, throughout its life cycle, plastic has a disproportionately negative impact on minority and low-income communities.

This booklet is a compilation of six separate social media posts from the Fall of 2020. It examines aspects of environmental justice throughout the lifecycle of plastic; from extracting the fossil fuel to disposing of the finished product.

Special thanks to Zubaydah Madyun for her help on this project.

Julia Craighill