As the world continues to come face to face with the consequences of decades of environmental degradation, Danny Kim’s documentary Zero Waste explores the ways that five individuals in South Korea have taken it upon themselves to create solutions to the country’s plastic waste problems, which has been exasperated by the global pandemic, and whether their efforts can be enough to make up for decades of neglect. Both sobering and uplifting, Zero Waste paints a portrait of both the magnitude of the problem, and the perseverance of those people willing to address them.
Director Danny Kim exhibits his vision through Zero Waste. He narrates and highlights environmental issues such as pollution. Specifically, how overconsumption of plastic products is a glaring issue that can be overlooked in the eyes of consumers. However, after watching this film, I was horrified to learn about the amount of plastic circulating throughout Jeju Island and South Korean shores. This film promotes strong efforts highlighting the issue behind plastic waste and offers creative solutions to help minimize waste generated from overconsumption.