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This course examines the issues caused by the proliferation of plastics in society, using a social science approach. We will begin by reading research revealing how plastic waste and pollution harm ecosystems and nonhuman species and pose risks to human health. Then we will discuss marketing practices that led to the embedding of plastics in our everyday lives, and get an overview of global commodity chains for trade in plastics. Finally, we will evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. and global public policies to deal with plastic waste such as recycling, extended producer takeback, bans of problematic plastic products such as microbeads and single-use plastic bags, and import bans on foreign plastic waste instituted by a growing number of nations.