As 54 million K-12 students begin the school year, a report from the Plastic Pollution Coalition details efforts by the plastics industry to shape classroom curricula across the United States. The industry has provided schools with free or low-cost educational materials, including lesson plans, worksheets, hands-on experiments, and a traveling educational program called PlastiVan, according to the nonprofit’s findings. These materials typically emphasize the benefits and necessity of plastics while minimizing discussion of significant environmental and health risks associated with plastic production and disposal.
The report examines four case studies of industry-sponsored educational content. The Society of Plastics Engineers, now a division of the Plastics Industry Association, offers lesson plans featuring activities such as plastic scavenger hunts designed to demonstrate plastics’ importance to modern life. A video titled “Your Bottle Means Jobs” connects plastics recycling to employment. The American Association of Chemistry Teachers, an initiative of Dow Chemical Company, provides lessons where elementary and middle school students learn about plastic bag durability and role-play as Dow employees designing bags for customers. While framed as supporting STEM learning objectives, these materials consistently reinforce industry messaging about plastics’ affordability and safety while proposing recycling rather than reduced production as a solution to plastic pollution.
Education specialists question whether these materials meet pedagogical standards. Wendy Johnson, a science education specialist at the National Center for Science Education, noted that industry lesson plans often lack clarity about alignment with state standards and use technical terminology in ways that create an appearance of scientific rigor without delivering genuine science education. The materials ultimately teach ideological perspectives favoring affordable consumer goods rather than critical analysis of plastic production and consumption.
The plastics industry’s presence in schools extends back at least to the 2000s, with documented lobbying efforts and substantial investments. The PlastiVan program has operated since 2011 and claims to have reached over 132,000 students. In Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Shell operates a major plastics production facility and has invested millions in curriculum development and programs while donating school supplies and facilities. Observers note this phenomenon reflects a broader challenge in underfunded public schools, where teachers lacking resources for quality materials often accept industry-sponsored content. The Plastic Pollution Coalition recommends school policies banning materials from chemical, fossil fuel, and plastics industries, alongside increased school funding to reduce reliance on such resources.
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