Dear John,
Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) is amplifying frontline voices highlighting the extensive negative impacts of continued plastic production and calling for solutions on a global scale. Recently, Jess Conard from Beyond Plastics told her story of the toll of a recent massive train derailment and chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, and Jo Banner of The Descendants Project shared her community’s efforts to keep industrial polluters out of Wallace, Louisiana.
Even if you are not on the frontlines, plastic pollution harms you. This month we learned there are plastic particles in testicles that are likely impairing sperm quality and male fertility in both humans and dogs. To learn more about how plastics threaten human reproduction and survival, listen to my conversation with Dr. Shanna Swan, author of Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human
Race.
As awareness of the plastics crisis grows, people are increasingly demanding change. Recent lawsuits filed against bottled water brands claim that it’s deceptive to use labels like “natural spring water” because bottled water has been found to contain harmful plastic particles and chemicals. PPC weighed in on this story to explain how the presence of plastic pollution in our food and water is a larger issue in need of systemic change. To that end, we recently spoke
about the need for beverage and coffee companies to focus their efforts on engaging in plastic-free reuse and refill, not just redesigning thinner plastic bottles and cups—a false solution to the growing crisis.
PPC and our allies are working hard to ensure policies meant to end plastic pollution are effective. We recently expressed our support for legislation that would close a glaring loophole in California’s single-use plastic ban that had allowed stores to continue distributing plastic bags, as long as they were labeled as “recyclable.” We know that plastic bags are not recyclable. We are excited to share that California has just passed such legislation, which will completely prohibit distribution of plastic bags at retailers. While this is a win, it’s important to point out that all such loopholes must be prohibited in plastic reduction legislation, including California’s SB 54, from the start so time is not wasted in establishing solutions to plastic
pollution.
Lately, there is no shortage of news about the harmful impacts of plastics on our bodies and the environment. But the good news is that there are myriad ways to take action! As we gear up for a busy June and Plastic-Free July, we remember these words from PPC Scientific Advisor Michael Mann, the model for Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the hit film Don't Look Up, and Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe: “the antidote to doom is doing.” Join us and take action now. And if you’re feeling creative, help us all imagine and visualize a world free of plastic pollution in our Independence from Plastic film contest—the deadline to enter is June 7.
Onward,
Dianna Cohen
Co-Founder & CEO
Plastic Pollution Coalition
P.S. Please support our work to educate, connect, and advocate for a more just, equitable world free of plastic pollution. |
