Unwrapped: The Plastic Crisis (Part 3) | Turning Awareness Into Action

The plastic crisis isn't too big to solve — but solving it will take all of us.

In the third and final episode of Unwrapped: The Plastic Crisis, our three-part miniseries from Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson and WWF plastics expert Erin Simon turn from the past and present to the future — exploring what it will actually take to build a world where plastic doesn't end up polluting our oceans, our communities, and even our own bodies.

Joining the conversation is Carissa Cabrera, a marine biologist, climate activist, and CEO of FutureSwell, who has built a massive platform helping everyday people see themselves as part of the solution to ocean and climate issues. Carissa shares what she's learned building community around plastic pollution in Hawaii, why authentic messengers matter more than viral moments, and what gives her hope even when progress feels slow.

This episode is about closing the gap between knowing there's a problem and believing you can be part of the solution.

Links for More Info:

Carissa Cabrera bio

FutureSwell

WWF Plastics page

Chapters:

0:00 Can I recycle this? (cold open)

1:15 Seth and Erin explain the episode

4:26 Meet Carissa Cabrera of Future Swell

7:24 What stories resonate to drive action?

12:55 How to convey urgency and hope at once

17:02 Local versus global advocacy

22:43 Reaching people outside the environmental bubble

27:35 Envisioning a future without plastic pollution

41:49 Series wrap-up and closing thoughts