Discarded

This is the story of a modern-day Erin Brockovich, set on the Mississippi River in an area known as “Cancer Alley." Her name is Sharon Lavigne, her community is St. James Parish in Louisiana, and her fight is to keep out one of the largest plastic manufacturing companies in the world.

In this investigative four-part series, hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist Gloria Riviera, we discover how our plastic world came to be. Because plastic is everywhere - it has advanced our world, but it has damaged our environment and our health. So what do we do? We look at what’s next for all of us, and how we can learn from communities like St. James to make a difference in our own backyards.

This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean health and tackle the climate crisis in this generation — with your help. Visit only.one to learn more and get involved.

Last refreshed: July 9th, 2025 at 7:23 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

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Jul 05, 2025•32 min

Bonus: What’s Next For Sharon?

Rise St. James members Sharon and Shamell Lavigne talk with host Gloria Riviera about the work that comes after Discarded. This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean health and tackle the climate crisis in this generation — with your help. Visit only.one to learn more and get involved. CREDITS Discarded is a Lemonada original, presented by Only One. Gloria Riviera is our host. Our producers are Alie Kilts, ...

Mar 24, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Introducing The Carbon Copy: The Great Electrician Shortage

We're sharing an episode from a podcast we enjoy called The Carbon Copy. In this episode, you’ll learn about the great electrician shortage. To decarbonize the economy, we need to electrify everything. That means installing millions of heat pumps, EV chargers, electric water heaters and rooftop solar panels. But there’s one big problem: finding enough electricians to make it happen. Electricians across the country are flooded with work — and just as demand is skyrocketing, many in the field are ...

Mar 13, 2023•27 min

Fighting Back

Hundreds of thousands of tiny plastic pellets fill the docks and bays of the Mississippi River. There are people who paddle out every morning to collect them, removing what they can as pellets continue to flood the water. But the problem starts much closer to home. Look around your house. See all the plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic everything? We are all at fault – and, like Sharon Lavigne, we all have the power to make a change. In this episode, we’ll talk to politicians, scientists, and...

Feb 28, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Addicted to Convenience

The invention of plastic changed the way we live — and now we’re hooked. We travel from Louisiana, where plastic is born, to New Jersey, where plastic goes to die… or live again. We explore greenwashing, wish-cycling, and our collective culpability as we try to understand how we became so reliant on plastic — despite knowing its harm to the earth and the communities closely impacted. This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a missi...

Feb 21, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 3

The Rise of St. James

St. James Parish is a place with tangled roots. The community shoulders the burdens of many who have come before them — and bears a deep responsibility to their ancestors to protect their hard-fought land. What started out as just a meeting of concerned citizens around a pot of gumbo turned into a quest to reclaim land, graves, and preserve a thriving community. This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean he...

Feb 14, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 2

David vs. Goliath

The shadow of Goliath is looming over St. James Parish, Louisiana, and it’s called The Sunshine Project. This $9.4 billion proposed petrochemical plant would sprawl across 2,400 acres, pushing up against the community that has lived and died there for generations. Our David is lifelong resident Sharon Lavigne. After teaching special education at the local school for over 30 years, Sharon becomes an accidental activist trying to save her community and its history. This series is presented in part...

Feb 07, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Discarded (Official Trailer)

Plastic is everywhere. It’s in our homes, grocery stores, oceans, soil and even our bodies. While the invention of plastic has advanced our world, it has seriously damaged our environment and our health. In this investigative four-part series, hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist Gloria Riviera, we look at how our plastic world came to be, and how one woman stood up to say enough in her own community. Available February 7, wherever you get your podcasts. This series is presented in partnershi...

Jan 23, 2023•3 min

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