How Producer and Director Kat Coiro is Fighting Single-Use Plastic on the Big Screen

Director and producer Kat Coiro wants Hollywood to finally stop showing single-use plastic on screens.

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She has worked hard to de-normalize the depiction of disposable plastic on film and TV. For example, Hollywood Reporter says that in the recent film she directed called Marry Me, she showed Owen Wilson packing his daughter’s lunch in a steel lunch box. In the same film, Jennifer Lopez drank from a reusable water bottle. For the Marvel/Disney+ series She-Hulk, the show’s characters all drink from Hydro Flasks.

Now, Coiro announced that for her next project, The Spiderwick Chronicles, she plans to take this stand against plastic even further. Coiro said,

“We are practicing ‘Lights, Camera, Plastic?’ on the upcoming show The Spiderwick Chronicles, which is the first show that I have worked on where the initiative has been fully embraced by our creative team.”

She is a founding supporter of the environmental non-profit Habits of Waste’s “Lights, Camera, Plastic?” initiative. The initiative aims to eliminate showing single-use plastic items on screens.

“Our amazing showrunner Aron Coleite combed through the scripts to eliminate plastic references. Our production designer Elena Albanese who also worked on She-Hulk discussed it with her team. Paramount Television Studios, 20th Television, and Disney Branded Television … have been so awesomely supportive of this,” said Coiro.

Mark Ruffalo recently appeared in a PSA about the campaign titled, “Are plastics the new smoking?”

“We need to make plastic uncool,” Coiro said. “If we can do that, then we can create a sustainable future that will leap from the screen and into the daily practices of our species. it seems like a small thing to do and that is the beauty of ‘Lights, Camera, Plastic?’ It is simple. It is a completely doable step … How do you solve the plastic crisis? One plastic water bottle at a time. Our industry truly does have the power to change the world.”

Globally, we produce 300 million tons of plastic annually, 78 percent of which is NOT reclaimed or recycled. Around 8.8 million tons of plastic get dumped into the oceans every year! 700 marine animals are faced with extinction due to the threat that plastic poses to them in the form of entanglement, Pollution, and ingestion. 50 percent of sea turtles have plastic in their stomachs. By 2050, 99 percent of all seabird species will have ingested plastic waste. According to a study by the World Economic Forum, there will be one tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish by 2025, and if things go on business as usual, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.

There are products you may be using or habits you may have that contribute to plastic Pollution. Learn more about how the use of Teabags, Cotton Swabs, Laundry, Contact Lenses, Glitter, and Sheet Masks pollute our oceans so you can make more informed decisions in the future. There are also numerous simple actions and switches that can help cut plastic out of our lives, including making your own cosmetics, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, and household cleaners, using  mason jars, reusable bags/bottles/straws, and avoiding microbeads!

Also, don’t forget sustainability doesn’t end in the kitchen and home; raise awareness through your clothing and opt for sustainable clothing brands like Tiny Rescue. Check out the entire climate change collection!

To learn more about the impact of plastic waste, please read the articles below: 

• Marine Animals that are Dying because of our Plastic Habit
• Where Plastic Really Goes When You Throw it Out
• 5 Documentaries to make you Rethink Single-Use Plastics
• 6 Million Tons of Single-Use Plastics Get Thrown Out Every Year!

Related Content:

• New Study Finds Fishing Gear to Be Deadliest Marine Plastic of All
• Orca Who Died After Becoming Stranded Found to Have Nothing but Plastic in Stomach
• Biden Launches Initiative to Expand Market for Plastic Alternatives
• Fashion Brand Releases Plant-Based Glitter That is Completely Plastic Free
• Microplastics are Disrupting the Ocean’s Biological Carbon Pump

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take the initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that are raising awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your own food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!