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Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil's Biggest Bet
An extraordinary exposé of the industry flooding our world with plastic—and now ramping up to make more than ever
Plastic, the foundational material of modern consumerism, is everywhere in our daily lives. But the companies making it—oil and petrochemical giants like ExxonMobil and Dow—are hiding in plain sight. Because for all the vivid coverage of where plastic ends up, there is remarkably little discussion of where it comes from. Today, industry is pouring billions of dollars into plans to double, or even triple, the amount it churns out, even as individuals concerned about plastic’s out-of-control proliferation try to use less. As Big Oil stares down a future of diminishing demand for fossil fuels, plastic has become its financial lifeline.
Award-winning journalist Beth Gardiner gives readers an up-close look at the plastic industry’s relentless growth, its extraordinary profits, its toxic pollution and its hidden role in exacerbating climate change. Every chapter in Plastic Inc. brings new revelations,
How Big Oil sold us the lie that recycling was the panacea for our plastic worries, even though companies always knew it couldn’t work at scale The hidden health crisis caused by chemicals in the items we use every day, and scientists’ growing fear that microplastics may pose even bigger dangers How the industries making and using plastic have wielded political muscle to stop bans on single-use items like plastic bags, while blaming us for the global mess they’ve created—and profited from That Big Oil’s plastic dreams spring directly from decades of denying climate science, and draw on the playbook of deceit this industry wrote—one later borrowed by tobacco and pharma companies The characters and personalities behind a hidden corporate and political scandal perpetuated over decades Plastic Inc.’s gripping stories will reframe for readers a problem many of us think we understand, but which has deeper roots, and greater dangers, than we know.
Plastic, the foundational material of modern consumerism, is everywhere in our daily lives. But the companies making it—oil and petrochemical giants like ExxonMobil and Dow—are hiding in plain sight. Because for all the vivid coverage of where plastic ends up, there is remarkably little discussion of where it comes from. Today, industry is pouring billions of dollars into plans to double, or even triple, the amount it churns out, even as individuals concerned about plastic’s out-of-control proliferation try to use less. As Big Oil stares down a future of diminishing demand for fossil fuels, plastic has become its financial lifeline.
Award-winning journalist Beth Gardiner gives readers an up-close look at the plastic industry’s relentless growth, its extraordinary profits, its toxic pollution and its hidden role in exacerbating climate change. Every chapter in Plastic Inc. brings new revelations,
How Big Oil sold us the lie that recycling was the panacea for our plastic worries, even though companies always knew it couldn’t work at scale The hidden health crisis caused by chemicals in the items we use every day, and scientists’ growing fear that microplastics may pose even bigger dangers How the industries making and using plastic have wielded political muscle to stop bans on single-use items like plastic bags, while blaming us for the global mess they’ve created—and profited from That Big Oil’s plastic dreams spring directly from decades of denying climate science, and draw on the playbook of deceit this industry wrote—one later borrowed by tobacco and pharma companies The characters and personalities behind a hidden corporate and political scandal perpetuated over decades Plastic Inc.’s gripping stories will reframe for readers a problem many of us think we understand, but which has deeper roots, and greater dangers, than we know.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published February 24, 2026
11 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Beth Gardiner
5 books20 followersBeth Gardiner is an American journalist based in London. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Time and the Washington Post. These days, she focuses mainly on stories about environment, health and sustainability, but she’s written about everything from politics, education and feminism to food and the arts.
Choked, her first book, has been recommended by NPR's Science Friday, the Washington Post, Scientific American and Library Journal. The Guardian said "You couldn’t ask for a better guide for non-specialists and concerned citizens," and Refinery29 called it "incredibly readable."
Beth spent 10 years as a reporter for the Associated Press, based first in New York and then in London. She has discussed her reporting on NPR's All Things Considered, MSNBC, WNYC's Brian Lehrer show, the BBC's World at One, Sky News and Canada's CBC, among many others. In 2019, she was a speaker at TEDx London at the Royal Festival Hall.
Choked, her first book, has been recommended by NPR's Science Friday, the Washington Post, Scientific American and Library Journal. The Guardian said "You couldn’t ask for a better guide for non-specialists and concerned citizens," and Refinery29 called it "incredibly readable."
Beth spent 10 years as a reporter for the Associated Press, based first in New York and then in London. She has discussed her reporting on NPR's All Things Considered, MSNBC, WNYC's Brian Lehrer show, the BBC's World at One, Sky News and Canada's CBC, among many others. In 2019, she was a speaker at TEDx London at the Royal Festival Hall.
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