“United States of Plastic” is a new Guardian newspaper series that “… will scrutinize the plastic crisis engulfing America and the world …” – The newspaper asks “… Is microplastic the next health crisis? …” and is asking its “… readers to help us raise $150,000 for Toxic America, a new US environmental series that will explore … [the] impact of plastic pollution on our health …”
The title of the first story is “Where does your plastic go?” which was published June 17, 2019. The story “… tracks plastic waste sent from the United States … and overwhelms the poorest nations … The newest hotspots for handling US plastic recycling are some of the world’s poorest countries, including Bangladesh, Laos, Ethiopia and Senegal, offering cheap labor and limited environmental regulation … shipping companies that transport China’s manufactured goods to the US end up with thousands of empty shipping containers to carry back … the companies have been willing to ship out America’s recycling at rock-bottom rates …”