The Majestic Plastic Bag, a documentary by filmmaker and environmental activist Daniel B. Gold, takes a unique and thought-provoking look at our relationship to plastic bags. The film follows the journey of a single plastic bag from its creation in a factory to its eventual traveling thousands of miles across open oceans. As the documentary progresses, viewers gain insight into how this ubiquitous item has managed to survive centuries in our ocean ecosystems, as well as how humanity’s use of this product affects our world.
The Majestic Plastic Bag examines the impact that plastic bags have had on our environment since their invention in 1965. As the film reveals, plastic bags are among some of the most commonly found items in marine environments today. From coastlines around the world to remote islands, these lightweight and durable objects can be found both above and below water surfaces. Every year, millions of tons of plastic debris enters our oceans through natural disasters and improper waste disposal—some estimates put this figure as high as 12 million metric tons annually—and much of it is comprised of these same single-use plastics like grocery store bags.
In addition to exploring the environmental effects associated with plastic bag use, The Majestic Plastic Bag also looks at how altering consumer behavior may help reduce their continued spread into marine ecosystems
