“Plastic China”

By Wang Jiuliang

“Plastic China” (2016), directed by filmmaker Wang Jiuliang, takes an unfiltered look at the lives of two Chinese families who survive by recycling plastic waste imported from developed countries to be treated and recycled in the country. The film focuses on Yi Jie, an 11-year-old girl, who dreams of going to school while living among piles of plastic rubbish. The discarded waste, including broken toys and foreign products, offers her a distorted glimpse of the outside world. This documentary revealed the health and environmental costs of informal recycling, sparking international awareness and influencing China’s 2018 decision to ban foreign plastic waste imports. Plastic China exposes the stark inequalities of the global recycling industry and challenges the illusion of prosperity built on unsustainable practices.

About the director

Wang Jiuliang is a Chinese filmmaker known for his powerful environmental documentaries. Graduating from the Communication University of China in 2007, Wang first gained recognition with his award-winning film Beijing Besieged by Waste, which documented landfill pollution in Beijing. From 2012 onwards, he dedicated himself to Plastic China, exposing the human cost of global plastic waste imports. Wang’s work provides an unflinching examination of China’s environmental struggles, focusing on those directly affected by pollution while urging broader societal awareness and change.