A young boy goes to meet a ruined industrialist called the Once-ler in a tireless wasteland and hear his tale of what happened to him. His tragic story is about how he began a thriving business with a useless but versatile fashion product derived from the trees of a forest. As his business booms, the forest and its inhabitants suffer as he wantonly clearcuts without regard to the warnings of a wise old creature called The Lorax about the dire consequences of his greed.