The Plastic Problem is a compelling PBS NewsHour documentary that investigates the widespread issue of plastic pollution and its far-reaching environmental effects.

By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. This environmental crisis has been in the making for nearly 70 years, and plastic pollution is now considered one of the largest threats facing humans and animals globally.

In “The Plastic Problem: PBS NewsHour Presents,” Amna Nawaz and her PBS NewsHour colleagues examine this now ubiquitous material and its impact on the world, why it’s become so prevalent, what’s being done to mitigate its use, and what potential alternatives or solutions are available.

This hour-long program travels from Boston to Seattle, Costa Rica to Easter Island to illuminate the global scale of the problem.