Toward a World Free of Plastic Pollution & Its Toxic Impacts
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AUGUST 2023

[Plastic-Free Back to School] [2]

Dear John,

With summer winding down in the Northern Hemisphere, IT’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL
TIME FOR MANY STUDENTS. While back-to-school time is usually associated
with plastic binders, water bottles, pens, and other single-use plastics,
it is possible to avoid a school year filled with toxic plastic.

During our August webinar [2], we learned why REUSABLE, REFILLABLE,
NON-PLASTIC SCHOOL SUPPLIES like stainless steel lunch boxes and food
storage containers are BETTER FOR STUDENT HEALTH, THE PLANET, AND SCHOOL
AND FAMILY BUDGETS—and how to incorporate them into the school year. Our
August Member Spotlight [3] focused on Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC)
Members who are working to support and empower the youngest generations to
build a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts: Ahimsa,
Beyond Plastics, Earth Guardians, and Wisdom Supply Co.

Reuse got a boost this month as NYC IMPLEMENTED ITS “Skip the Stuff”
law [4], which requires restaurants to only distribute SINGLE-USE PLASTIC
UTENSILS AND FOODWARE UPON REQUEST. We celebrate this policy achievement
with PPC Member Beyond Plastics [5] and other allies who helped support
this legislation.

We also discussed POLICIES AND OTHER REAL SOLUTIONS TO END PLASTIC
POLLUTION, while calling out greenwashing [6], with popular media outlets.
_Grist _published a story featuring PPC Advocacy & Engagement Manager
Jackie Nuñez [7] who shared her perspective on the movement to end plastic
pollution and experience founding The Last Plastic Straw [8]; and invited
PPC Communications Manager Erica Cirino to weigh in on other STORIES ABOUT
GREENWASHING relating to the term “circular economy” [9] and recent
research [10] showing the TRUE COSTS OF “RECYCLED” PLASTIC IN
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS. Cirino also weighed in on a story for _Voice of
America_ emphasizing the costs of mass-produced fast fashion [11], which
PPC intern Daniel Elbaz underscores in a recent blog [12].

Learn more about our recent activities and opportunities to get involved in
SOLUTIONS TO PLASTIC POLLUTION below.

Onward,

[Julia Cohen]

Julia Cohen, MPH
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Plastic Pollution Coalition

P.S. PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION [13] to support our work to educate,
connect, and advocate FOR A WORLD FREE OF PLASTIC POLLUTION.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

[Why We Need to Phase Plastic Out of Fashion] [12]

★ WHY WE NEED TO PHASE PLASTIC OUT OF FASHION [12]
PPC Intern Daniel Elbaz makes a case to phase plastic out of fashion, in a
recent blog post that describes the health, social, and environmental
impacts of mass-produced synthetic apparel. Read the blog [12]. 

★ MICROPLASTICS FOUND IN HUMAN HEARTS [14]
Microplastics [15], the tiny toxic particles that all plastics shed, appear
to be accumulating in one of our bodies’ most important organs: our
hearts. Last month, scientists published research from a small pilot study
that shows evidence that microplastics are present in multiple types of
human heart tissues, and backs up research confirming its presence in our
blood. Read the blog [14].

★ AUGUST WEBINAR: PLASTIC-FREE BACK TO SCHOOL [16]
During our August 17 webinar, we learned why reusable, refillable,
non-plastic school supplies like stainless steel lunch boxes and food
storage containers are better for student health, the planet, and
wallets—and how to incorporate them into the school year. We also
discussed how schools can incorporate reusable, plastic-free items and
practices into their operations. The conversation included Jessica
Campbell, Educator at Mount Madonna School [17]; Debby Lee Cohen, Executive
Director & Founder of Cafeteria Culture [18]; and Heather Itzla, Founder of
Wisdom Supply Co [19]. The panel was moderated by Dr. Manasa Mantravadi,
Pediatrician and Founder & CEO at Ahimsa [20]. Watch the recording [16]. 

★ NANOPLASTICS ARE ENTERING OUR BODIES [21]
Plastic is in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.
How does it get there—and what does it mean for human health? PPC
Communications Manager Erica Cirino dives into these important questions in
an adapted excerpt from her book, _Thicker Than Water: The Quest for
Solutions to the Plastic Crisis_ [22]. Read the excerpt [21].

★ BIOPLASTICS ARE NOT THE SOLUTION TO PLASTIC POLLUTION [23]
“Bioplastics” may sound too good to be true—materials that look,
feel, and perform like conventional plastics, without some or all of the
toxic fossil fuel-based ingredients, and with less impact on the climate
and Earth. And that’s because they are too good to be true: most
“bioplastics” do not benignly break down, often contain or are coated
with hazardous chemicals, drive pollution and injustice, and perpetuate
wasteful throwaway systems and single-use habits. We dispel the myths and
discuss the facts in our recent blog. Read the blog [23]. 

★ “SKIP THE STUFF” IS NOW THE LAW IN NYC [4]
We’re celebrating with our friends at Beyond Plastics the passage of the
“Skip the Stuff” law in NYC, which means that restaurants should not
provide single-use utensils, napkins, or condiment packages unless
customers specifically ask for them. There are 3 ways you can help support
this important new law:

* Call 311 to report any businesses who are not complying.
* Learn more here [24] (there's a flier you can download and print out to
give to restaurants)
* Spread the word about this new law so that others are aware of it.

Learn more [4]. 

★ DID PLASTIC STRAW BANS WORK? YES, BUT NOT IN THE WAY YOU’D THINK [7]
Journalist Harvin Bhathal writes for _Grist _about the legacy of efforts to
eliminate single-use plastic straws, and how they shaped the larger
movement to end plastic pollution through policies and other solutions. The
story features PPC Advocacy & Engagement Manager Jackie Nuñez, who shared
her perspective on the movement to end plastic pollution and experience
founding The Last Plastic Straw [8] with Bhathal. Read the article [7].

★ HOW THE ‘CIRCULAR ECONOMY’ WENT FROM ENVIRONMENTALIST DREAM TO
MARKETING BUZZWORD [9]
Also for _Grist, _journalist Joseph Winters explores the phenomenon of
plastic producers and other industrial polluters using the term “circular
economy”—and why experts are calling this out as greenwashing [25]. PPC
Communications Manager Erica Cirino weighs in on what the term now means,
and what other terms may better describe efforts to end plastic pollution.
Read the article [9].

★ USING ‘RECYCLED PLASTIC’ IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS MAY NOT BE A
GREAT IDEA AFTER ALL [10]
PPC and other experts discussed our recent research in the journal
_Frontiers in Built Environment_ [26] that reviews the true costs of
downcycling used plastic into construction materials. In the story, PPC
Communications Manager Erica Cirino, the study’s lead author, discusses
that, while many studies describe the practice as a net positive for people
and the environment, existing research is often full of glaring omissions
of cost analyses that put human and planetary health and wellbeing at risk.
Read the article [10].

★ MASS-PRODUCED CLOTHING CAUSES SERIOUS AIR, WATER POLLUTION WORLDWIDE
[11]
PPC sheds further light on the consequences of fast fashion for _Voice of
America News_. In an article out this month, journalist Debby Block
interviewed PPC Communications Manager Erica Cirino about how the fashion
industry’s prolific production of predominantly plastic clothing harms
human health and the Earth, and drives environmental injustice. Read the
article [11].

★ 5 REASONS I’M CONVINCED WE CAN STOP CLIMATE CHANGE [27]
_Outside Magazine _journalist Kristin Hostetter asked PPC CEO and
Co-Founder Dianna Cohen to weigh in on NYC’s new “Skip the Stuff” law
for a hopeful article about the climate crisis. Every action that
normalizes and encourages plastic-free reuse and refill systems, like this
policy, is a step forward to eliminating wasteful single-use plastic and
averting climate collapse. Plastic production, use, transportation, and
disposal emit significant quantities of climate-warming greenhouse gases.
Read the article [27].

UPCOMING EVENTS

[September Webinar: Policy Matters: Solutions for a Plastic Pollution
Free U.S.] [28]

★ September Webinar: Policy Matters: Solutions for a Plastic Pollution
Free U.S. [28]
Plastic pollution is an URGENT THREAT to the climate, human health,
communities, the environment, and wildlife. With INDUSTRIES SET TO TRIPLE
THEIR PLASTIC PRODUCTION BY 2060, public support for policies to reduce
plastic pollution is growing across the world. From implementing bag bans
and fees on single-use plastics, to rules that strengthen regulations on
industrial polluters, communities and policymakers are using many
strategies to address THE GROWING PLASTIC POLLUTION CRISIS. Plastic
pollution ultimately needs to be stopped at the source, and encouragingly,
LEADERS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE WORKING TO DEVELOP POLICY SOLUTIONS that
do just that. Bills like the BREAK FREE FROM PLASTIC POLLUTION ACT AND
REDUCING WASTE IN NATIONAL PARKS ACT are legislative solutions intended to
reduce and prevent single-use plastic and plastic’s many forms of
pollution from impacting our climate, communities, waterways, and natural
wonders. During our SEPTEMBER 19 webinar, we will discuss policy solutions
for addressing plastic pollution in the United States. Learn about key
policy developments from decision makers and advocates who are leading
these initiatives. Sign up. [28]

★ THE GREEN 2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS OF COLOR DATABASE LAUNCH [29]
The Green 2.0 [30] Environmental Experts of Color Database addresses a
pressing issue—the lack of diversity in experts providing testimony in
the policymaking process nationally and locally. The database provides
policymakers, organizations, and individuals with an expansive set of
environmental and environmental justice leaders, and offers a more
representative perspective on these issues. Join the database launch on
SEPTEMBER 14, AT 1PM EST, to hear from key experts and policymakers about
how we may implement practices and policies that build a more inclusive set
of experts in the environmental sector. Sign up [29].

★ March to End Fossil Fuels in NYC
Join PPC Member Beyond Plastics [5] and other allies in the movement to end
plastic pollution at the March to End Fossil Fuels [31] in NYC on SEPTEMBER
17, AT 1PM EST. Set to take place during this year’s NYC Climate Week,
the March to End Fossil Fuels will be held as the United Nations calls on
world leaders to take real steps to lead society away from fossil fuels to
protect people and the planet. Sign up [32].

★ Beyond Plastics Grassroots Advocacy Trainings
We can achieve a world without plastic pollution but we need to build a
bigger, more powerful grassroots movement to do it. Register for the
upcoming Beyond Plastics [5] Trainings for Local Groups and Affiliates to
learn practical and powerful ways to end plastic pollution and engage your
larger community. This online training is divided into two sessions that
are each two hours long. You must complete both sessions, but you can
attend them in any order you wish, and they are both OFFERED TWICE DURING
THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER to ensure you can find a time that works with your
schedule. Atencion hispanohablantes: Si necesita una traducción al
español, envíe un correo electrónico a Megan a
[email protected]. Learn more and register for free [33].

★ PROMOTING REUSE IN FOOD CODES: CHANGE THROUGH BYO PRACTICES [34]
Join the Center for Biological Diversity for a special webinar session on
how Bring Your Own Containers (BYO) practices can support reuse systems.
Meet Anne-Marie Bonneau, aka the Zero-Waste Chef [35], and Michelle Brake,
an Environmental Policy Analyst from Mind Your Plastic [36], who will bring
unique perspectives on how BYO is practiced in Canada. Learn how this
discussion about the Canadian experience can help us think through US
federal and state food codes, and empowering communities. MEET ON ZOOM ON
SEPTEMBER 25 AT 1PM EST. Join here [34].

➤ FIND MORE Events on our website [37].

COALITION CORNER

[Member Spotlight: Ahimsa, Beyond Plastics, Earth Guardians, Wisdom
Supply Co.] [3]

★ MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: AHIMSA, BEYOND PLASTICS, EARTH GUARDIANS, WISDOM
SUPPLY CO. [3]
PPC is proud to represent businesses and organizations that are addressing
the plastic pollution crisis head on. From a wide range of industries and
focuses, PPC Members [38] are aligned in their mission to create a world
free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on communities and
ecosystems. To UPLIFT AND SHOWCASE THEIR WORK, our monthly Member Spotlight
blog gives readers an inside look at some of these influential
change-makers. For August, we are featuring PPC Business and Organization
Members with programs and products designed TO PREPARE STUDENTS, PARENTS,
GUARDIANS, AND TEACHERS TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL PLASTIC-FREE for a healthier
year ahead. Learn more [3].

★ PPC X SAVE THE WAVES PARTNERSHIP [39]
PPC has partnered with Save The Waves Coalition, an international
non-profit working to protect surf ecosystems around the world, around the
Save The Waves App [40], a coastal monitoring tool that empowers surfers
and beach-goers to track threats to coastal ecosystems, such as plastic
pollution, ghost fishing gear, erosion, and poor water quality, to name a
few. The Save The Waves App connects the information from reports in
real-time with local organizations leading clean ups, brand audits, and
global trash mapping initiatives, among other local and global partners.
Learn more [39]. Also join the webinar on September 15 at 3pm EST about
ongoing shoreline cleanup efforts in the Northeast Pacific region,
including examination of microplastics distribution and discussion about
how collaboration and community involvement can help with monitoring and
remediation. Sign up.

★ Join the Coalition
Not yet a member of Plastic Pollution Coalition? You may join as an
individual, organization, or business. Apply here [41].

TAKE ACTION

[Ban Plastic From School Lunchrooms & Protect Children's Health] [42]

★ BAN PLASTIC FROM SCHOOL LUNCHROOMS & PROTECT CHILDREN'S HEALTH
Studies show that plastic in the food system can lead to harmful chemicals
leaching into the foods our children eat. Today, there are more than 10,000
additives approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to serve,
preserve, package, or modify the taste, look, texture, or nutrients in
foods. However, a recent review of nearly 4,000 food additives showed that
64% of them had had no research showing they were safe for people to eat or
drink. PPC Business Member AHIMSA [20] is leading an effort to tell the
U.S. Department of Agriculture to avoid using these materials in its school
lunch program. Sign the petition [42].

★ Tell the U.S. Government: Take a Stronger Stance on the Global Plastics
Treaty
Plastic production, transportation, use, and disposal threaten Earth’s
communities, air, water, biodiversity, and soils. With UN Global Treaty
negotiations underway [43] through the end of 2024, the U.S. government
(USG) has the unique opportunity to play a key role in the change we need
on a worldwide level: instead of leading the world in generating the
plastic pollution crisis, it's time for the USG to lead by forging
ambitious solutions. Sign on [44] to tell the USG to take a stronger stance
on the Global Plastics Treaty. Outside the U.S.? Sign the petition calling
on world leaders to create a bold, binding treaty to end plastic pollution
[45].

★ Tell EPA: Don’t Replace Lead Pipes with Plastic Pollution
The U.S. Federal government has approved $15 billion to replace toxic lead
services lines bringing water into the homes of 22 million people in the
U.S. Lead pipes should be replaced with non-toxic materials, not plastics
like PVC. Plastic pipe materials can similarly leach toxic chemicals and
microplastics that accumulate in the environment and in our bodies. PPC and
our allies are working to ensure this funding goes to safe, non-plastic
solutions that put community health and safety first. Sign the petition
[46].

★ Tell Coca-Cola: It's Time to Prioritize Health Over Profits
New research that traces Coca-Cola’s plastic bottle supply chain brings
to light further evidence of air and water pollution, climate pollution,
and environmental racism that may be wrought by the beverage industry’s
addiction to cheap plastic bottles made from oil and gas. Worldwide, it is
estimated that the beverage industry buys more than 500 billion plastic
bottles every year to package its products, and that Coke alone buys a
fifth of those. In the newly released report titled _Hidden Hazards: The
Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle_ [47], Defend Our Health detailed
evidence that the chemical footprint of plastic bottles is unsustainable
and they are challenging The Coca-Cola Company to put consumers first and
move to secure commitments from its suppliers to end any use of
cancer-causing toxic plastic additives like antimony that may be harmful to
our health. Sign the petition.

➤ FIND MORE Petitions on our website. [48]

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

[Marine Debris Foundation Grants] [49]

★ Marine Debris Foundation Grants
The Marine Debris Foundation (MDF) is pleased to launch the first round of
its Marine Debris Grants. The MDF seeks to address the problem of marine
debris through diverse partnerships, initiatives, and creative solutions.
It prioritizes grantmaking to eliminate marine debris and plastic
pollution, and to augment the efforts and impact of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program [50]. As such,
any proposed project should fit into one or more of the following marine
debris/plastic pollution focal areas: reduction, prevention, removal, and
assessment. THE DEADLINE IS AUGUST 31, AT 11:59PM PACIFIC TIME—but the
application is relatively simple if you are just learning of this
opportunity. Apply here [49].

★ EMERGING LEADERS FUND
The Claneil Foundation created the Emerging Leaders Fund to support the
critical role that executive directors play in launching and growing
early-stage organizations. The Foundation awards a four-year unrestricted
general operating grant totaling $300,000 to each recipient’s
organization along with access to a support network of peers. Recipients
are selected based on their creative vision, leadership capacity, potential
for impact, and commitment to innovation and learning in one or more of the
following issue areas: education, hunger and nutrition/food systems, health
and human services, and environment. Please note that the Claneil
Foundation does not accept self-nominations. Nominations are due by
September 15, 2023 [51].

★ 21ST ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL [52]
The International Ocean Film Foundation [53] (IOFF) is best known for
producing the International Ocean Film Festival in San Francisco,
California, now in its 21st year and is considered the largest ocean themed
film festival in the world. The 2024 festival is scheduled for April
13–14. THE CALL FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS IS NOW OPEN UNTIL DECEMBER 31, WITH
AN EARLY DEADLINE OF OCTOBER 12. Award categories include Animation,
Conservation, Coastal and Island Cultures, Director, DEI, Environment,
Female Filmmaker, Golden Gate (recognition of a local Bay Area filmmaker)
Innovation, Marine Science/Wildlife, Ocean Sports and Exploration, and
Short. Submit your film here [52].

★ Explore Plastic Pollution Coalition’s Resource Library
A wealth of resources are available in our online library to help educate
and mobilize individuals to take action on plastic pollution. From research
and reports to educational materials, the library has something for
everyone. Whether you're an individual looking to reduce your own plastic
footprint or an organization looking to make a bigger impact, PPC's
resource library is a great place to start. Explore the Resource Library.
[54]

YOUR DONATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

DONATE [55]

#PLASTICPOLLUTES

[Facebook] [56] [Instagram] [57] [Twitter] [58] [Youtube] [59]

Plastic Pollution Coalition is a non-profit communications and advocacy
organization that collaborates with an expansive global alliance of
organizations, businesses, and individuals to create a more just,
equitable, regenerative world free of plastic pollution and its toxic
impacts. Plastic Pollution Coalition is a project of Earth Island
Institute, a 501(c)3, non-profit organization, organized and existing under
the laws of California (Federal Tax ID #94-2889684).

PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION
4401A Connecticut Avenue NW #143
Washington, DC 20008
[email protected]
(323) 936-3010

SUBSCRIBE [60] | UNSUBSCRIBE [61]

Copyright © 2023 Plastic Pollution Coalition



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