Like many of you, I’ve seen the growing conversation around plastics, especially in food packaging. When I saw that a documentary called The Plastic Detox was hitting Netflix, I knew I needed to watch it - not just as a sustainability professional, but as a soon-to-be mom thinking about how to reduce the harmful impacts of microplastics and the chemicals in them.

This documentary is eye-opening, at times unsettling, and ultimately motivating. If you don’t have the time to watch it, here’s what stood out to me—and what it means for all of us.

The Reality of Plastic: It’s Everywhere

One of the most powerful takeaways is just how pervasive plastic has become. This isn’t just an environmental issue anymore—it’s a human health conversation.

• Microplastics have been found in our blood, lungs, and even our brains

• Plastic pollution has reached the deepest parts of the ocean and the most remote ecosystems

• The average person may ingest thousands of microplastic particles per week

• Plastics contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that impact reproductive health and are thought to be a cause of the current fertility decline.

The Hidden Cost of Convenience

Plastic became dominant for a reason: it’s cheap, lightweight, and versatile. But the documentary highlights the true cost behind that convenience:

• The chemicals in plastics create serious health consequences and can cause an array of issues from infertility to cancer

• Fossil fuel dependency: Most plastics are derived from oil and gas

• Low recycling rates: Globally, only 9% of plastic is actually recycled

• Downcycling vs. recycling: Much of what is “recycled” becomes lower-value material. Recycling plastics is not a circular solution

• Waste exports: Developed countries often ship plastic waste elsewhere, shifting—not solving—the problem

It challenges a common belief: that recycling alone can fix plastic pollution. The reality is more complex.

The Myth of “Recyclable = Sustainable”

This is a big one—and something I think about often when it comes to packaging.

Just because something can be recycled doesn’t mean it will be.

The documentary calls out:

• Inconsistent recycling infrastructure: Not all municipalities can recycle plastics, so they still end up in the landfill or pollute the environment

• Responsibility for pollution is being put on consumers rather than the manufacturers, when it should be the other way around

• Packaging designs that are technically recyclable but not practical at scale

It reinforces an important shift: Designing for real-world outcomes—not theoretical recyclability

What’s Actually Working

Amid the challenges, there are solutions gaining traction:

1. Material Innovation

• Fiber-based packaging (like molded pulp)

• Compostable alternatives where appropriate

• Reduced material usage and simplified packaging designs

2. Policy & Regulation

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws

• Bans on certain single-use plastics

• Incentives for sustainable material adoption

3. Consumer Awareness

• People are asking more questions

• Brands are being held accountable

• Transparency is becoming non-negotiable

This is where momentum is building—and where real change is possible.

What We Can Do (Individually & as an Industry)

The documentary doesn’t leave you feeling helpless—it actually outlines a path forward.

As individuals:

• Choose products that are not made of plastic or are packaged in plastic

• Support brands that prioritize sustainability

• Be mindful, but realistic, about recycling

As businesses and as an industry:

• Invest in materials that align with circular systems

• Prioritize function + sustainability, not one at the expense of the other

• Collaborate across the value chain to share ideas and come up with more sustainable solutions

My Perspective

Watching this documentary reinforced something I strongly believe: Sustainability isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. It is about making changes where you can.

At Hartmann North America, we’re part of a broader shift away from plastics. Are we the entire answer? No. But we are part of a better direction - one that moves us away from reliance on fossil-based materials and toward more sustainable, circular products that don’t harm people or the planet.

What this moment calls for: Not one silver bullet, but a collective movement.

If you take one thing away from The Plastic Detox, let it be this: The system we’ve built around plastic is not inevitable; it’s changeable. The choices we make today individually, as businesses, and as an industry, will define what comes next.

I will leave you with this question: Is your business a part of the plastics problem or the sustainable solution?

-Natalie Swanson

Hartmann North America's Marketing and Sustainability Manager