Props: Gun, Cap, Shades, Tote Bag with bottles, HDPE signs, scotch tape

Characters: 1 Dealer, 1 Crime Lord, 3 Bodyguards, 1 Hostage

[Title screen] (It’s a future in which plastics have been banned, but are prevalent in the black market) Suspicious dealer walking across the frame, carrying tote bag. He walks up to a door, and meets Guard 1 (G1).

G1: You that dealer he’s been talking about?

D: Yeah, let me in.

Dealer tries to move past him, but is stopped by G1.

G1: Whoa whoa, hold up there. You made sure nobody’s following you? (looking around, patting down Dealer)

D: Yes, just let me in.

G1 opens the door. D enters and meets Crime Lord (C)

C: Have you got the goods.

D: Where’s my sibling?

C: Lemme see the goods first.

D goes to table and lays out the goods from the tote bag. It’s a bunch of HDPE.

C: What’s this? Is this HDPE?

D: Yes, didn’t you want to..

C: (bangs table) I TOLD YOU TO BRING ME BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC! What am I gonna do with this (throws a bottle off the table)?

[IMPACT 1]

D: You know what I went through to manufacture this batch of HDPE? Yes, manufacturing plastics is relatively cheap but it produces a large amount of chemical pollutants and fossil fuels will be involved. Manufacturing HDPE involved the use of toxins, like chromium oxide, benzoyl peroxide, hexane, and cyclohexane, which can harm the workers involved.  Some chromium oxide even escaped into a nearby living community.

C: So what? Why do I care?

D: Chromium oxide is cancerous! Plastic manufacturing has always had a negative impact on society. But now that I’ve made this, just accept it and give me back my sibling!

C: (stands up slowly) Do you have any idea how damaging HDPE is to the environment? Did you know that it’s not readily biodegradable? I had a pet turtle when I was 11. It mistook plastic litter as its food. It ended up choking and dying. All because plastic isn’t biodegradable.

D: But what about…

C: Also, plastics don’t biodegrade, but they break down. And when they do, they release toxic additives, like flame retardants, antimicrobials and plasticisers, into the environment. Chlorinated plastics can release harmful chemicals into the soil, which can seep into groundwater and pollute water sources. That’s why I asked specifically for biodegradable plastics.

D: So, what? You’re not gonna give me my sibling back?

C: Gimme a minute. (Crime Lord calls Guards 1 & 2 over for a huddled discussion)

C: Whaddaya think? Should I take the HDPE?

G2: What? HDPE? No way!

G3: Well, you could always recycle the HDPE. Once recycled, it can be made into something you can sell. Not only is it cheaper, it has less of a negative impact to the environment. I mean, it reduces the amount of energy and natural resources consumed in plastic manufacturing.

G2: No way, we had a deal..

C: Shut up, let him talk. Carry on.

G3: Well, back in the day, recycling plastic used to be the thing. Firstly, there’s the benefit of not burning plastics, which releases toxins into the environment. Also, recycling plastic saves landfill space. Imagine if all the plastic litter in the world had been recycled instead. Maybe your turtle wouldn’t have died.

C nods and gestures G3 away. He then turns to D.

C: Looks like you’re in luck. I’ll take the HDPE and let your sibling go. But, you still need to be punished. (hands D a gun)

Hostage: Don’t kill my sibling! NOOOOOOO!

D holds gun to his/her head, we hear a gunshot as the screen blacks out.