China just put the brakes on buying up nearly half of the world’s exported plastics, but which country is really to blame for our plastic pollution? Here’s what we know. How Seeker Will Collect The Most Extensive Data Set of the Pacific Ocean | The Swim - https://youtu.be/XQqsjfFN2Z4 Learn more about the 'The Swim' here! - https://www.seeker.com/theswim Read More: Dead whale in Indonesia had swallowed 1,000 pieces of plastic https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/20/asia/indonesia-whale-plastic-scli-intl/index.html “Park officials found bags, plastic bottles, sandals and 115 plastic cups in the whale's stomach, as well as a sack containing more than 1,000 pieces of string.” Plastic Recycling is Broken. Here’s How to Fix It. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/06/china-plastic-recycling-ban-solutions-science-environment/ “In 2016, China imported two-thirds of the world’s plastic waste. So when China stopped buying the world’s discarded plastics, it threw markets into turmoil. But it also created opportunity. Plastic waste imports, millions of metric tons, 2016” The Violent After Life of a Recycled Plastic Bottle https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/12/what-actually-happens-to-a-recycled-plastic-bottle/418326/ “Even recyclable plastic items are difficult to process if they haven’t been cleaned properly—hence, the leaflets calling for us to “rinse our recyclables.” The cleaner a plastic bottle is, the easier it is to reincarnate it as something new.” ____________________ Elements is more than just a science show. It’s your science-loving best friend, tasked with keeping you updated and interested on all the compelling, innovative and groundbreaking science happening all around us. Join our passionate hosts as they help break down and present fascinating science, from quarks to quantum theory and beyond. Seeker explains every aspect of our world through a lens of science, inspiring a new generation of curious minds who want to know how today’s discoveries in science, math, engineering and technology are impacting our lives, and shaping our future. Our stories parse meaning from the noise in a world of rapidly changing information. Visit the Seeker website https://www.seeker.com/videos Elements on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SeekerElements/ Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=dnewschannel Seeker on Twitter http://twitter.com/seeker Seeker on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SeekerMedia/ Seeker http://www.seeker.com/