Scavenger Hunt

Want to participate paper free? Digital Scavenger Hunt option available here.

“Plastic” can describe any material made of polymers, which means they are made by linking chains of molecules (called monomers) together to create a large molecule (a polymer). The term ‘plastic’ is derived from the Greek word “plastikos” and the Latin “plasticus”, meaning “fit for molding or being capable of being molded into various forms”. This refers to the material’s malleability or plasticity during the manufacturing process, which allows it to be cast, pressed, or extruded into various shapes.

Since the development of polyethylene in 1933, plastic production has experienced significant growth. Following World War II, during which plastic production quadrupled in the United States, plastic manufacturing companies turned their attention to consumer products replacing materials such as wood or glass. As this cost-effective and convenient market developed, environmental concerns related to plastic waste became clear.

Current data indicates that the plastic recycling rate of the U.S. is less than 6% resulting in residual plastics affecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. It is important to promote reduced plastic usage and advance improved packaging solutions for the generations to come.

Article: The Age of Plastic: from Parkesine to pollution

Article: Science of Plastics

Documentary: The Story of Plastic 

Video: The problems with single-use plastics

Video: A brief history of plastic

• Turn milk into plastic. See the full materials list and instructions here.   
• Cupboard sorting. Every day we use lots of plastic products without thinking about their impact on the planet. Go into your kitchen cupboards with your child and ask them to sort everything into the type of material (plastics, cardboard, aluminum, etc.) Ask your children to pick out the items that can be recycled and show them where on the packaging they can see if it’s recyclable or not. 
• Identifying different types of plastic. See this video lesson plan idea from Science Journal for Kids.

Policy Game: The Plastic Pipeline 

Matching Game: What was it made of before plastics? 

Interactive Slideshow on the Life of a Plastic Bottle   

Video: Investigating Plastic Pollution – The Basics

Video: The story of plastic (animated)

Book: Plastics and Polymers Science Fair Projects, Using the Scientific Method

Check out the STL CITY Soccer Club booth (SR-1) to learn how they use reusable aluminum cups in the stadium to disrupt the plastic production timeline.

Want to participate paper free? Digital Scavenger Hunt option available here.

When Plastic was first introduced into our post WWII homes, it was marketed as an equalizer. Giving convenience to domestic laborers, predominantly women, while celebrating the ease of a disposable product. Decades later, we are seeing inequality and injustice as the now obvious conclusions to this “throwaway” culture.

Environmental Justice is a movement and policy that affirms that all people and communities have a right to equal protection, sustainability, and access to their environment and that laws and regulations for a safe and sustainable future should be upheld equally.

There are significant inequalities in plastic pollution exposure according to race, income, ability, gender, sexuality, and other marginalized identities in relation to proximity to plastic environmental hazards. Ingesting micro/nano plastics from contaminated water or food and living near hazards, such as plastic production or recycling facilities, contributes to poorer health. No person or environment is disposable. We must center Environmental Justice in our Planet vs Plastic efforts to create a just future for all.

Project showing the overlap of southern plantations and plastic pollution plants with maps and short video: Plantations to Pollution

Reel – What Is Environmental Justice?

Article: Plastics and Environmental Justice

Book: Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility by Taylor, Dorceta E.

Book: Waste One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret by Flowers, Catherine Coleman

Intersectional Environmentalist Video: What is Intersectionality? (Kimberlé Crenshaw, Applying it to Environmentalism)

Video: The Intersectional History of Environmentalism

Youtube Short: Holding Polluters Accountable with Abre’ Conner

Watch a Short Video explaining the Environmental Justice impacts of the Plastic Pollution Crisis: The Story of Plastic 

Social Media: @littlejusticeleaders Dr. Shelby Dretz creates content to help with conversation starters for all topics related to social justice and helps frame the content in an age appropriate fashion.

Check out Library Books:

Mermaid Kenzie: Protector of the Deeps by Charlotte Watson Sherman 

One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul

Biscuit’s Earth Day Celebration by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle by Alison Inches

Wangari’s Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter

Visit the Great Rivers Greenway booth (N-33) to learn about the importance of accessible and equitable green spaces.

To get more involved, visit the Social Justice neighborhood to connect with organizations working for Environmental Justice locally.

Want to participate paper free? Digital Scavenger Hunt option available here.

Plastics are not only bad for the environment, but they also present a threat to wildlife animals and pollinators like birds and bees that are now interacting with plastic fragments found around them.

Recent studies have shown that birds and bees are using plastic to build their nest. Exposure to the chemicals and plastic fragments called microplastics can impair cognition in bees making it hard for them to remember floral scents, for example, which are critical for pollination.

Microplastics found in birds’ lungs have reduced their lung function and caused tissue inflammation in 51 different species.

We need stronger wildlife and pollinator protections, and we must be mindful of the plastics we use in our daily lives and how we dispose of them. We must reduce our plastic consumption to save our pollinators and all wildlife. 

Article: Microplastics Found in Bird’s Lungs in New Study

Article::Microplastics are confusing bees and threatening eco-systems.

Video:  Hanging out with an Albatross 

Read a Nat Geo Article for Kids on Plastic 

Book:  (9-13 years): The Plastic Problem by Rachel Salt 

Take the Trash Hero Kids Ocean Debris Quiz

Look for the Scavenger Hunt sign at the Clean Streams United booth (N-6) and visit the Down on the Farm and Nature neighborhoods to connect with local organizations that support our local wildlife.

Don’t forget to catch a bird show with the World Bird Sanctuary on the Community Stage at 11:30am and 2:30pm each day.

Want to participate paper free? Digital Scavenger Hunt option available here.

Plastic waste never disappears – it just breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces. Over time, discarded plastic products – like water bottles and cling wrap – break down into microplastics. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, shed microplastic fibers when they’re washed. Microplastics get released into the environment when people use products laced with the particles.

Microplastics are shards of plastic that are between 1 nanometer and 5 millimeters. One nanometer is just a fraction of the width of a human hair, and 5 millimeters is about the width of a wedding band.

Where can you find microplastics?

Microplastics can be found everywhere — in the air, in your drinking water, in the ocean, in streams and lakes, in the soil, in all kinds of animal and plant-based proteins including chicken, beef, seafood, tofu, and more, in beer, in bottled water, in table salt, in your dryer’s lint filter, in sea birds’ stomachs, and in the human heart, brain, lungs, kidneys, placenta, blood, and more. 

Do microplastics affect our health?

Yes, microplastics may impact our health in two ways: 1) Microplastics’ physical presence in the human body can cause damage and inflammation, and 2) chemicals from the original plastic, or pollutants picked up in the environment, can leach into our organ tissues and cause damage. Microplastics can enter the human body through ingestion and inhalation. See [Plastic Health Impacts] for more information on how microplastics and plastics in general negatively impact our health. 

Articles: 

• Everything you should know about microplastics, UN Environment Programme
• What’s the deal with microplastics, the material that ‘never goes away’? Stanford Report
• Microplastics are everywhere and can harm human health, say experts, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Twenty years of microplastic pollution research—what have we learned? Science
• Tracking microplastics from sea to body, Stanford Report 
• [Good news!] Algae is a ‘little vacuum’ for microplastics. Midwest scientists think it could clean up the problem, St. Louis Public Radio 

Book: 

• A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies, Matt Simon

Videos:

• What Do Microplastics Do To My Body? National Geographic 
• Microplastics Are in Our Brains. What Does That Mean? New York Times

How Microplastics Infiltrated Our Food (And One Way To Get Them Out), PBS Terra

Books:  

• Microplastics and Me, Anna Du
• Snurtle and the Oceans Hurdles “Nurdles”, Kristy Craigle
• Kids Fight Plastic, Martin Dorey 

Short Videos: 

• What are Microplastics? Science for Kids. National Science Foundation
• Single-use plastic, microplastic are an environmental disaster, CBC Kids News 
• How microplastics affect your health, UN Environment Programme

Activities: 

• Beach sand sorting. Collect sand, sift it using a colander, and sort through the debris on a baking tray to find colorful plastic fragments and fibers.
• Microfiber laundry lab. Wash fleece in a container, then filter the water to observe how many microfibers are released, simulating laundry pollution.
• “Plastic soup” feeding game. Use tongs (representing animal mouths) to try and pick “food” (rice) out of a container filled with “plastic” (lentils), demonstrating how animals accidentally consume plastic.

Find the Scavenger Hunt sign at Ro’s Wigglers (D-2) and learn more about the tiny world of microplastics.

On Saturday, visit the Beyond Plastics booth (M25) and follow their advocacy throughout the year.

Want to participate paper free? Digital Scavenger Hunt option available here.

The lifecycle of plastics, from extraction through production to distribution, has growing implications for human health, as emerging scientific studies demonstrate. Plastics are synthetic materials derived from petroleum, natural gas, and various chemicals, recognized for their durability and versatility. When released into the environment, plastics undergo photodegradation, fragmenting into microplastics that can enter the human body via dermal contact, ingestion, or consumption of contaminated food and water.

Preliminary research using cell cultures and animal models indicates that microplastics may cause DNA damage and disrupt hormonal activity. Recent findings reveal the presence of microplastics in human blood, brain tissue, and even across the placental barrier. Additionally, endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as phthalates and PFAS—commonly associated with plastic products—have been linked to alterations in hormonal activity, potentially increasing the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and reproductive health concerns. Reducing plastic usage, avoiding the heating of food in plastic containers, and choosing natural fibers for clothing are recommended strategies to minimize exposure.

Video: What you need to know about Endocrine Disruptors and your fertility

Video: We’re All Plastic People Now

Book: They Poisoned the World – Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals

Article: Microplastics and Kids: How to limit the risks

Article: Microplastics revealed in the placentas of unborn babies

News For Kids (grades 5-6): ‘Plastics Crisis’ Needs Immediate Attention, Medical Journal Says

Audio Book:  The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics l How You Can Make A Difference by Susan Hood

Short Video: 3 Surprising ways microplastics can enter your body

Find the Scavenger Hunt sign on this topic at our sponsor, Companion Bakery booth (M-14, 15).

For more, check out the Wellness neighborhood and attend a session in the Peace Garden with local wellness practitioners.

On Saturday at 3:30pm, attend Jenny Wendt’s session on plastic’s health impacts at the Geodesic Domes at the center of the Sustainable Marketplace, near the Climate Action Tent. (note: this session is 18+ due to discussion of medical topics which might not be appropriate for younger ages.

Want to participate paper free? Digital Scavenger Hunt option available here.

Children today understand the climate crisis because they have been living it their entire lives. And it’s no surprise that many are at the forefront of climate activism, mobilizing for global change to protect people and the planet. Globally, youth are advocating for a future free from fossil fuels and the unnecessary plastic waste driven by the oil industry while creating more circular systems in their communities.

From hosting Plastic Free Lunch Days at schools here in St. Louis, to advocating for children everywhere at the Global Plastics Treaty discussions, young people are movement leaders in the fight against plastic pollution. Read more below to learn how adults can contribute and support the youth climate movement. And if you’re a kid who cares about the climate, check out the resources below to learn more and begin shaping the future you want to live in.

“I have learned you are never too small to make a difference.”
– Greta Thunberg

Resource Library: How to Talk to Your Kids about Plastic Pollution: Cartoons, Books, and Activities to Involve the Whole Family

Article: Youth Climate Activism Needs Nurturing. Here Are 4 Ways to Make it Happen

• Want to learn more about supporting young people and fostering their leadership in advocacy spaces? Check out this book: Trust Kids! Stories on Youth Autonomy and Confronting Adult Supremacy by Carla Joy Bergman

Video: A Mighty Ocean: Global Youth’s Vision to a Plastic-free Future

Video: These young people have a message for world leaders on plastic pollution

Video: The Conservation Kid 

Resource: Student Toolkit to help your school go plastic free

Toolkit: Activist Toolkit for Students

Activity (Grades 3-12): Today’s Trash is Tomorrow’s Problem 

Funding: Teacher Mini-Grants for Plastic Free School Programming

Take a FREE Online Course on Plastic Pollution for kids and earn a certificate! 

Take the Plastic Pollution Quiz! 

Watch a short interview with a Youth Climate Activist: Tejas takes on plastic pollution and thinks you can too

Check out a Library Book:  Plastic Sucks! How You Can Reduce Single-use Plastic and Save Our Planet

Coloring Pages: English and Spanish versions

Check out a Library Book: How to Change Everything – the Young Human’s Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other

Learn more in the Festival Youth Corner! Be sure to stop by The Magic House booth (Y-1, 2) to see how you can learn and get involved locally.

The Festival program also shows all the booths with activities for children marked with a smiley face. Check the Resources for Kids and Teachers sections of the rest of the topics for games, online classes for kids, lesson plans, videos, and more.

Want to participate paper free? Digital Scavenger Hunt option available here.

Our modern global economy created an unequal waste system with countries in the Global South being on the receiving end of the Global North’s soaring plastic waste impact. Since 1988, more than 250 million tons of plastic waste has been exported to the Global South; one third of which originated in the USA, Germany, and Japan. The EU is also one of the biggest culprits.

This reality of “waste colonialism” puts the burden of toxic plastic waste on the environment, communities, and waste sector predominantly in the Global South. But that’s not the end of the story and plastic-free policies are gaining momentum across Asia, Africa and Latin America as communities push back against extraction and dumping.

When looking for equitable solutions to the Plastic Pollution Crisis, those of us in the Global North should be looking to the leadership of those most impacted and supporting a more equitable and sustainable waste system. There are organizations and individuals fighting for systemic solutions across the Global South, offering actionable solutions and inspiring change. Learn more below.

Plastic Changemakers, Mapped.

Article: Addressing Plastic Pollution in the Global South Through Art

Article: Five African countries unite to reduce release of hazardous chemicals from plastics

Toolkit from the Intersectional Environmentalist: Imperialism + Global Waste Trade: A Digital Toolkit Exploring The Intersections in Global Waste Trade 

Article: The Politics of Plastic Pollution and the Impact on the Global South

Article: ‘Waste colonialism’: world grapples with west’s unwanted plastic

Report: Discarded: Communities on the Frontlines of the Global Plastic Crisis

Video:  What is The Global North South Divide?

Video: The Wonderful Story of Flipflopi – the world’s first recycled plastic sailing boat!

Video: Our campaign to ban plastic bags in Bali 

YouTube Short: I’m an Environmentalist, of course I…

Look for the Scavenger Hunt sign located at the Geodesic Domes in the center of the Sustainable Marketplace field.

To learn more about this topic, check out the Climate Education Tent located near the domes.

Want to participate paper free? Digital Scavenger Hunt option available here.

On a personal level, we can all work to reduce plastic consumption and exposure. But the problem is larger than individuals, and people are working on policy solutions from local to global scales to hold corporations accountable for their plastic production.

Local policy solutions include bans on especially polluting forms of plastic, such as disposable bags, straws, or styrofoam food containers. Municipalities have been successfully asking corporations to cover the costs of their plastic disposal by investing in recycling systems. 

On a state and federal level, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws are gaining momentum nationwide. 

On a global scale, countries around the world are working together to pass a Global Plastics Treaty which would hold the biggest corporate plastic producers accountable for the pollution and harm from plastic production. We support a legally binding global treaty that focuses on the root problems of plastic overproduction, instead of a downstream focus on recycling.

Article: Scientists explore nature’s promise in combating plastic waste

Book: The Problem With Plastic – How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late by Judith Enck

Video: Do We Need Degrowth To Save Us And Our Planet 

Video: How the #LandBack Movement Might Help Save the Planet

Article: The global plastics treaty can be saved — here’s how to break the deadlock

Article: Africa’s bold moves to tackle plastic pollution

Advocate: Find your elected officials here

Downloadable Posters: find your next protest poster or art to inspire change 

Lesson Plan: Examining traditional materials as solutions to overuse of plastic

Book:  Taking on the Plastics Crisis 

Browser Game: Click to play Crossword Puzzle

Comic: What do you hope Earth looks like in the future?

Find this topic’s Scavenger Hunt sign at The Refill Effect booth (R-1).

To learn more, check out the Collective Action poster at the Climate Action Tent located in the middle of the Sustainable Marketplace field and take a moment to write a postcard to Missouri Legislators asking them to support HB 3193 which would help to ban plastic use in our state.