Our Plastic Problem: A Call for Global Solutions

by Megan Durnford

48 pages, Hardcover

Published February 11, 2025

Reviews

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, for almost the entirety of the book, I think it’s great. It’s informative, it’s balanced. But page 26 is completely devoted to The Ocean Cleanup. And there’s nothing *incorrect* about the text. But if you google ‘ocean cleanup controversy’, you’ll see that a lot of ocean pollution experts have their doubts about the company and their methods. The Ocean Cleanup is also listed in the back as an online resource, although there’s a disclaimer on how there’s no responsibility taken for the information from said resources.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written, clear book about our plastic problem and potentially very helpful to kids who want to make a difference. The suggestions for kids’ actions in the back are great. I love this whole series from Orca!

However, I read this VOX article (thanks to Meghan Bohn for noticing the issue): (https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/229...) and I agree that the author should have excised this section on Ocean Cleanup. The author does make the point that OC’s efforts might be futile and certainly the more important job is to reduce plastic usage. She doesn’t bring in the issue of possible harm to microscopic and also larger ocean life (by catch). She does say that there is more plastic in the bottom of the ocean than floating in the top. It appears (?) that she uses the controversial photograph from Ocean Cleanup, though, that had scientists saying it was staged. So she partially addresses the controversy, but not the whole of it.

I still think this book can be used by teachers and parents to help kids take responsibility for reducing their plastic usage, if shared with a disclaimer when reading page 26 about the concerns about the efficacy of plastic removal from the ocean.

[Soojung Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Already some informations is out of date, but this book is highly informative. I had misperceptions clarified and learned so many more things. I found some of the discussion questions to be silly: ask your grandparents about life prior to plastic. I'm not sure how many grandparents of children in 2026 lived pre-plastic.

[Jean Cry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Our Plastic Problem raises important issues about pollution, but the writing feels flat and uninspired. The topic deserves urgency, yet the book struggles to keep the reader’s attention. Informative, but not engaging.