Dear John,

On March 27, Plastic Pollution Coalition along with allies from the Break Free From Plastic movement delivered 345,606 signatures from member petitions and a letter supported by 150 U.S.-based organizations to U.S. Government officials at the White House asking them to take a stronger stance in the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations. Together we are calling on the Biden Administration to negotiate a legally binding treaty that centers impacted communities, public health, and human rights while acknowledging the myriad impacts that plastic poses at all stages of its “life cycle,” beginning with fossil fuel extraction.

With just two more negotiating sessions scheduled to finalize the UN Plastics Treaty, time is running out for the U.S. to support real solutions and participate in crafting an effective global agreement to end plastic pollution. The next negotiating session (INC-4) will take place in Ottawa, Canada, April 23–29, and Plastic Pollution Coalition will be there! This is a pivotal moment to address the plastic pollution crisis, and the U.S. has a key role to play. You may still add your name to the petition and we will make sure your voice is heard.

The U.S. now has the opportunity to better serve communities and expand access to safe drinking water, especially to underserved communities. It is critical that states use some of the $5.8 billion of federal funding allocated to fix America’s drinking water systems to purchase filters in communities now undergoing water infrastructure improvements. This will help ensure people have access to safe water immediately while the lengthier infrastructure upgrades and replacement efforts are made—without inundating them with toxic plastic bottled water. 

As we move into Earth Month, let us recommit ourselves to respecting and protecting people and the planet—because we are Nature!

Onward together,

Julia Cohen, MPH
Co-Founder & Managing Director

P.S. Please support our work to educate, connect, and advocate for a more just, equitable world free of plastic pollution. Donate.

★ New Report & Supplement Reveal the Hidden Costs of Top-Selling PLA Bioplastic
Eunomia Research & Consulting, in collaboration with Plastic Pollution Coalition, released a comprehensive report on Polylactic Acid (PLA), a popular bioplastic often touted as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics. The report provides an in-depth analysis of PLA’s environmental and social impacts, challenging prevailing perceptions of its sustainability. Additionally, Plastic Pollution Coalition has published a supplemental report which shows how replacing one toxic single-use material—conventional plastic—with another—PLA—only perpetuates pollution and environmental injustices. Learn more.

★ New Report: Plastic Chemicals Are More Numerous and Hazardous Than Previously Thought
A new report shows that plastics may contain any mix of more than 16,000 different chemicals, and at least 4,200 (or 26%) of these are highly hazardous to human and environmental health, according to an international team of scientists with the PlastChem Project. Learn more.

★ A Breath of Fresh…Plastic? Humans Inhale a Credit Card’s Worth of Microplastics Every Week
Humans inhale a credit card’s worth of microplastics every week, according to a growing body of data. Research on micro- and nanoplastic pollution shows that inhalation is a major route of plastic pollution exposure for people and other animals. Although the full effects of the issue are still unknown, occupational research has already suggested that inhalation of plastics is harmful. Learn more.

➤ Find more Latest News on our website.

★ NYAD OCEAN WALK
EverWALK, Plastic Pollution Coalition, and the Great Los Angeles Walk joined Diana Nyad and Bonnie Stoll on March 24 for an inspiring rally and 10K walk in Santa Monica to raise awareness about our oceans and to reduce single-use plastic. Joining the real-life “sheros” portrayed in the film NYAD starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster were Michael Schneider, founder of The Great LA Walk; Dianna Cohen Co-Founder and CEO of Plastic Pollution Coalition; and Ed Begley, Jr., actor and Plastic Pollution Coalition Notable member. Dianna Cohen and Diana Nyad, pictured above, enjoyed plastic-free refreshments after the walk.

★ Member Spotlight: Algalita, Blueland, Earth Law Center, O’land
Plastic Pollution Coalition Members come from a wide range of sectors and are aligned in their mission to build a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on communities and ecosystems around the world. This month, we highlight four members who are mobilizing communities through marine plastic research, revolutionizing safer household cleaning products, advancing ocean justice, and building reuse and refill infrastructure for tomorrow. Learn more.

★ Congratulations to Jacqueline Omania of Berkeley’s Oxford Elementary School!
Jacqueline Omania, teacher of the “zero waste classroom,” has been chosen as one of 10 teachers from across the U.S. and Canada to participate in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Teacher at Sea Program. The program offers outstanding educators a unique opportunity to join NOAA scientists aboard an ocean research vessel as a member of the ship’s science team. Learn more.

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

★ April Webinar – People vs. Plastic: How the UN Plastics Treaty Must Protect Our Health
April is Earth Month, and many people around the world this year are focused on plastic pollution. With the fourth of five sessions of UN Plastics Treaty negotiations taking place in Ottawa, Canada, beginning on April 23, it is critical that key decision makers understand the urgent need to end plastic pollution at the source. On Wednesday, April 17, at 2pm PDT/5pm EDT, we will hear from panelists Aidan Charron of EARTHDAY.ORG, Dr. Jamala Djinn of Break Free From Plastic, Ruth Stringer of Healthcare Without Harm, and moderator Renee Sharp of the Natural Resources Defense Council for a conversation on the impacts of plastics on human health and implications for the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations. Sign up.

★ Let's Talk About U.S. Waste Colonialism in Mexico (Conversatorio Colonialismo)
On Friday April 5 (10 am–12 pm PDT/11 am–1 pm CDMX), join Colectiva Malditos Plasticos, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, and Break Free From Plastic for a virtual conversation about U.S. plastic waste colonialism in Mexico. Learn how to stop plastic waste exports as a colonial false solution in our local work, as well as on the global stage at the upcoming INC-4 Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations in Canada. Webinar in English and Spanish. Learn more.

★ Plastic Free Lunch Day
Eliminate single-use plastic all week, for one day, or start with just one plastic-free action! School cafeterias use billions of single-use plastics each year. Together, we can reduce billions of plastic items. Join Plastic Free Lunch Day on April 17. Learn more.

★ Chemicals in Plastics: Human Health Costs
Plastics are a source of endocrine- or hormone-disrupting chemicals, commonly known as EDCs. In this webinar on April 18 at 1 pm ET, Dr. Leonardo Trasande (PPC Scientific Advisor) will discuss research using data from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program from 1998 to 2022. The study explored the impacts of EDCs on newborn health and estimated attributable adverse birth outcomes, and the associated costs. Learn more.

★ The Third Annual ALX Dog Walk
Lace up your walking shoes, leash up your pup (or come without a dog!), and join the ALX Dog Walk for a morning of wagging tails, plastic-free sustainability, and community spirit! The Third Annual ALX Dog Walk happens Saturday, April 20, from 7–11 am ET in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. More than 500 adorable furry friends and countless humans will come together for a beautiful 2-mile walk down historic Union Street, returning along the Waterfront Walk to Oronoco Bay Park for a morning celebration. Learn more. 

➤ Find more Events on our website.

★ Tell EPA: Don’t Replace Lead Pipes with Plastic Pollution
On November 30, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Draft Lead and Copper Rule Improvement (LCRI) to control lead and copper in drinking water. As strongly recommended by Plastic Pollution Coalition and other leading experts and community advocates, the newly drafted rule requires water systems with consistently high levels of lead to make available filters certified to remove lead from water, rather than single-use water bottles. This is a significant step forward. However, EPA needs to do more to strengthen the draft language to proactively distribute filters at no cost to communities, and move up the timeline. Learn more and sign the petition.

★ 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 Plastics Treaty negotiations underway 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 to tell the USG to take a stronger stance on the UN Plastics Treaty. Outside the U.S.? Sign the petition calling on world leaders to create a bold, binding treaty to end plastic pollution.

➤ Find more Petitions on our website.

★ Open Position: Campaign Coordinator at Plastic Pollution Coalition
Plastic Pollution Coalition is hiring a Campaign Coordinator to support strong policy and communication efforts to coordinate, organize, and liaise with experts and stakeholders on various PPC-led campaigns and initiatives. The initial focus for this role will be the Filtered Not Bottled campaign and federal plastic policy such as the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. Learn more.

★ Open Position: Senior Director of Research at Defend Our Health
Defend Our Health is seeking a Senior Director of Research who will lead Defend’s science strategy by conducting and guiding action-oriented research, data, and analysis for the organization. Learn more.

★ Apply for the Brower Youth Awards
Since 2000, the Brower Youth Awards, a program of Earth Island’s New Leaders Initiative, has recognized 147 outstanding, emerging youth leaders making strides in the environmental movement. Each year, six winners are selected and awarded a $3,000 cash prize. Winners are flown to Berkeley, California, for a leadership week that includes coaching and skills-building workshops, and are honored in a ceremony in the San Francisco Bay Area. Youth environmental change leaders ages 13–22 (as of April 8, 2024), who live in North America (including Mexico, Canada, and some Caribbean Islands) and U.S. territories are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submission is Monday, April 8, 2024. Learn more.

★ The Global Plastic Laws Database
Global Plastic Laws is an extensive database and resource library focused on plastic legislation that has been passed around the world. Designed for use by policymakers, researchers, educators, students, community advocates, and others interested in plastics policy, the database includes 9 topics covering the full life cycle of plastics along with key issue areas highlighted in the ongoing UN Plastic Treaty negotiations. Access the Database.

★ Resources for Creating Plastic-Free Schools
We know that plastics are harmful, especially to young people who are among the most vulnerable to the hormone-disrupting and toxic effects of plastic chemicals. Yet unfortunately, children, teens, and young adults are frequently exposed to plastics—especially at school. Thankfully, solutions exist, and many students, educators, and administrators are showing us it’s possible to create healthier schools without all the plastic. Learn more.

➤ Find more Resources in our Resource Library.