This is the second module for the Geography section of Unplastic. It focuses on Human Geography and includes an in-class activity. The guide and activity are designed to be used in tandem with the slides available on this website. The slides include ample supplemental information for each section in the presenter’s notes.

What do globalisation, barbie dolls, trade, public health, and the export of plastic waste have in common? In this workshop, this question is answered by looking at plastic pollution as a problem that stems from the processes related to all these very different components. Students will learn about how one of the major trends in today’s society, globalisation, has affected trade, and what this means for the management of plastic pollution. Through two case studies, the internationalisation of products’ supply chains is explained, and a debate is created about the increasing complexity of attributing responsibility to countries of plastic production and consumption externalities. Therefore, plastic pollution is presented as a social justice issue, showcased by the trade of plastic waste as exemplified by the China ban on importing plastic waste, and the health inequalities that this trade can create and contribute to, shown by the case study of the struggles of a Tanzanian family.