Microplastic Madness
An award-winning documentary that's inspiring a global youth movement
Atsuko Quirk is the Executive Director and Media Director of Cafeteria Culture (CafCu), as well as a documentary filmmaker, environmental advocate, and a 21st-generation Samurai family member from northern Japan, happy to live in New York City.
After 15 years of production managing TV commercials, feature films, and television shows, Atsuko shifted her focus to creating her own documentaries—bringing a Japanese perspective to American conversations on sustainability, food systems, and wellness.
Her passion for school food and zero waste began when she met Debby Lee Cohen, who had founded Styrofoam Out of Schools. Together, they evolved the initiative into Cafeteria Culture, expanding its mission to eliminate waste, reduce climate-harming emissions, and bring student-led environmental action into public school cafeterias.
Atsuko is the Co-Director, Producer, Cinematographer, and Editor of Microplastic Madness, CafCu’s award-winning feature documentary that has screened in over 45 countries. She also directed Everyone’s Ocean (Best Short Documentary, NYC International Film Festival, 2014) and School Lunch in Japan – It’s Not Just About Eating (2010), which has reached over 36 million views on YouTube and continues to inspire educators and school food advocates worldwide.
Through CafCu’s in-school programs, Atsuko teaches youth storytelling, videography, and production—amplifying student voice and climate leadership through media. Since 2010, she has led the development of intensive, detailed waste audits to measure food and plastic waste in school cafeterias, helping schools and students take measurable action toward zero-waste goals.
Contact her at: atsuko@cafeteriaculture.org
