Microplastics are everywhere. In the air, in the water, in our food, in our bodies. We’re marinating in the stuff. These invisible invaders—shed from food wrappers, fleece jackets, and just about everything we touch—have infiltrated the very fabric of life on Earth. If this doesn’t alarm you, it should. But don’t take my word for it—let Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics do the talking.
On Friday, March 14, at 6:30pm, Hudson Hall will host a free screening of Ben Addelman’s 2024 documentary Plastic People, followed by a panel discussion co-hosted by Beyond Plastics and Columbia County Reduces Waste—Bring Your Own (CCRW–BYO). The film, named one of Variety’s best documentaries of the year, is an eye-opening investigation into the creeping omnipresence of microplastics, told through the lens of science journalist Ziya Tong. Over 84 harrowing minutes, Tong takes viewers on a global journey, revealing how these microscopic fragments are not only choking our oceans and contaminating our soil but have also made their way into human organs, with consequences we’re only beginning to understand.
This is no distant environmental catastrophe—it’s an immediate, insidious crisis that has infiltrated everything from our tap water to the air we breathe. The film exposes how everyday objects—synthetic clothing, disposable packaging, even teabags—shed plastic particles that accumulate in our bodies. Scientists are racing to understand the long-term effects, but early findings suggest they may be linked to a slew of health issues, from endocrine disruption to inflammation to potential links with chronic disease.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with a panel of advocates who are taking the fight against plastic pollution into their own hands. Rev. Kathryn Beilke, of the Vermont-based nonprofit Beyond Plastics, has been at the forefront of pushing for national policy change to curb plastic production. Her organization, founded at Bennington College in 2019, pairs environmental policy expertise with grassroots activism to challenge the entrenched plastics industry. Jill Berman, a leader with Columbia County Reduces Waste—Bring Your Own, is working to make single-use plastics a thing of the past by encouraging local businesses and consumers to adopt reusable habits.
Meanwhile, Amelia Legare, owner of Red Hook’s sustainability hub The O Zone & Flower Power, is demonstrating how small businesses can operate outside the plastics economy. Her shop provides a bulk-refill marketplace, a composting program, and a plastic-free gardening supply store, proving that cutting down on waste isn’t just an idealistic dream—it’s a practical, necessary shift.
If all of this sounds overwhelming, that’s precisely why this event exists—to move beyond paralysis and into action. Plastic People makes clear the depth of the problem, but the conversation afterward is where the real work begins. Attendance is free, but registration is recommended—and let’s be honest, this is one discussion you don’t want to miss.
Consider this your wake-up call. Bring your own container. Bring your own outrage. Just don’t bring plastic.
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This article appears in March 2025.
