Last updated:
Plastic is an epidemic. Film and TV have the power to model a path towards a plastic-free future. Plastic Pollution Coalition has created a simple test for on-screen entertainment: The Begley-Cohen Test
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_02-1024x968.png)
Actor/environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. and Plastic Pollution Coalition co-founder Dianna Cohen.
How Does a Film or TV Show Pass the Test?
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_01.png)
- No single-use plastics appear on screen (i.e., the film/show is set in a time with no plastic, or plastics are replaced with refillable, reusable, or package-free options).
- If a single-use plastic item appears on screen, it is portrayed or discussed as problematic.
Why It Matters
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_03.png)
99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels.
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_04.png)
Plastic inflicts major injustices on BIPOC, rural and low-income communities.
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_05.png)
Plastic contaminates our Earth with waste and toxins.
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_06.png)
Every 30 seconds, one person dies of disease from plastic and waste.
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_07.png)
Plastic items injure and kill millions of wild animals every year.
A 60-day shoot uses around 39,000 water bottles.
Producers Guild of America / Green Report
Categories for Passing the Begley-Cohen Test
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_08.png)
1. Time Period: Stories set in a time before the invention or mass production of plastic are a sure-fire way to feature plastic-free worlds on screen. Example: Bridgerton
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_09.png)
2. Satire: Single-use plastics are portrayed within the story in an over-the-top or satirical way that highlights the absurdity and problematic nature of the single-use plastic items. Example: Crimes of the Future
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_10.png)
3. No Single-Use Plastics: Single-use plastics are present and available, but none are depicted on screen. Plastic items for long-term and multiple uses may still be depicted (furniture, appliances, computers, cell phones, medical equipment, toys). Example: Marry Me
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_11.png)
4. Time Period: When single-use plastics appear on screen, the script and/or characters make a distinct effort to point out or discuss the problematic nature of their use or existence. Example: Life & Beth
![](https://hollywoodhealthandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Begley-Cohen-test_12.jpeg)