Emily Penn speaks at TEDxUbud about the toxic chemicals in plastics and the danger they pose to our bodies.

Most of us wear synthetic fabrics like polyester every day. Our dress shirts, yoga pants, fleeces, and even underwear are all increasingly made of synthetic materials — plastic, in fact. But these synthetic fabrics, from which 60% of all clothing on earth is made, have a big hidden problem: when they’re washed, they release tiny plastic bits — called microfibers — that flow down our drains, through water treatment plants, and out into our rivers, lakes and oceans by the billions.

Our Water, Our Future tells the story of activists from Cascade Locks, Oregon, whose community faced Nestlé’s effort to bottle their water.

This 2-minute short takes on plastic microbeads—the nasty little bits of plastic that companies have been putting in everything from body washes and hand soaps to toothpaste and make up. In it, we show how microbeads are actually designed to go down the drain and into our rivers, lakes, and oceans…and what folks like us can do to stop this ridiculous assault on our public waters.

Do you really know where your recycling goes? The truth might surprise you. Watch this 2.30 minute short clip from Sky Ocean Rescue to find out more.

Litter on beaches and straws in sea turtles’ noses are just the tiny visible part of the problem. Find out what’s really going in this 3 minute animated short from The Story of Stuff.