'Plastic Planet': Free Movie on Friday at Library

The public is invited to a free movie at 7 p.m. Friday (Sept. 21) at the Ocean City Free Public Library: "Plastic Planet." The film will be shown in Room N110.

The Ocean City Environmental Commission is sponsoring the presentation of the documentary by director Werner Boote. The film "takes an up-close look at the plastics industry in order to explore whether the ubiquitous man-made material is a danger to human health," according to its producers.

"The grandson of a once-prominent plastics magnate, Boote became aware early on that the material we rely on to make our lives easy could also be poisoning our planet," First Run Features writes of the film. "Not only because a piece of plastic takes up to 500 years to deteriorate in the ground or water system, but also because studies indicate that frequent exposure can also lead to a variety of health problems in humans. In this film, Boote speaks with scientists, manufacturers, consumers, and government officials in 14 countries about the dangers of continued reliance on plastics, as well as alternatives that could lead to a cleaner world, and a healthier population."

Another Environmental Commission program takes place 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Ocean City Free Public Library.

Gary Conover, solid waste director from the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, and Linda Crumbock, recycling coordinator at the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority, will be speaking on Ocean City's recycling program.

They will explain the new single-stream process in which Ocean City property owners will not have to separate recyclables for curbside pickup.

Amy Menzel, community outreach for ACUA, will also speak on the upcoming Rutgers Environmental Stewards program that will be held this winter.