Plastic China's main character Yi-Jie is an unschooled 11-year-old girl whose family works and lives in a typical plastic waste household-recycling workshop. As much as her life is poor and distorted, she's a truly global child who learns the outside world from the waste workshop that her family lives in and works in - also known as the "United Nations of Plastic Wastes." She lives her happiness and sorrows amongst the waste,, as well. Small packs of discarded instant black powder tells her the bitter taste of "coffee"; the English children's learning cards teach her words like "summer" and "father's day"; and brokenBarbie dolls are her best friends to talk to. This is her world. Plastic China explores how this work of recycling plastic waste with their bare hands takes a toll not only on their health, but also their own dilemma of poverty, disease, pollution and death. All of this to eek out a daily living.