Dear John,

This month, we begin by honoring two passionate individuals who made indelible marks on the movement to end plastic pollution as advocates for policy and cultural change. They were dear friends, kindred spirits, and encouraged me from the start when I founded the The Last Plastic Straw. 

Debbie Lee Cohen, Executive Director and Founder of Cafeteria Culture, passed away in April. Debbie Lee taught students how to advocate for their health with plastic-free solutions at their schools and in city, state, and national policies, using art and advocacy. Her many achievements include establishing equitable zero waste policies in public schools that led to plastic foam bans in New York City in 2019, and New York State in 2022.

Dr. Wallace “J” Nichols, marine biologist and longtime friend, founding member, and advisor to Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), as well as friend and mentor to many of our staff, passed away earlier this month. J made it his mission to connect every human with their Blue Mind, and his heart-centered work has become a global movement; influenced countless environmental organizations, businesses, and educational institutions; and inspired people around the world to protect and restore the oceans and other natural areas, using awe and connection rather than guilt and fear to inspire action.

We are so grateful to Debbie Lee Cohen, J Nichols, and others who have demonstrated that positive change is possible through heart- centered movements. We are committed to honoring their legacies by showing up, taking action, and continuing our work to end plastic pollution.

We are pushing for policies that hold polluters accountable and address plastic production at the source. Earlier this month, we joined allies from the Break Free From Plastic movement to lobby decision makers in Washington, D.C., for stronger plastic policies: in the U.S. with the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act and other state legislation, and globally with the UN Plastics Treaty. 

In June we held a well attended webinar on greenwashing featuring a panel of experts on both plastic recycling myths and fact-based policies that can help end plastic pollution. We also published a related blog exposing how, despite “fix-it” legislation, California’s plastic reduction laws are still not tough enough.

Additionally in the policy space, we are excited to welcome Rachel Bustamante to our team. Rachel has extensive policy and advocacy experience, working on issues such as plastic pollution and ocean rights. She will be working as a Campaign Coordinator to help advance our Filtered Not Bottled campaign and other federal plastic policy priorities. 

Finally, as we gear up for Plastic-Free July, we are focused on solutions. We have in our network businesses that are innovating in very exciting ways: creating reuse and refill systems, and using regenerative materials like seaweed, mushroom mycelium, chitin, and more to replace plastic film and packaging materials. Be sure to sign up for our upcoming July webinar to learn about some of these exciting regenerative materials, and stay tuned for ways to take action during July and beyond.

Onward together,

Jackie Nuñez

Advocacy & Engagement Manager for PPC, and Founder of The Last Plastic Straw

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

★ Plastic Harms Men’s Fertility: How to Protect Your Health
Plastic poisons people. While unborn babies, infants, children, and pregnant people are among those most vulnerable to the toxic impacts of plastic, evidence of plastic harming men’s health is also growing. Specifically, with plastic particles found throughout men’s reproductive systems, concerns are growing around the threats of plastic to men’s fertility, sexual function, and overall reproductive health. Learn more.

★ How Plastic Harms Sea Turtles—and How You Can Help
Sea turtles have stood the test of time. They are among the oldest living creatures on Earth. But plastic pollution threatens the future of these amazing survivors. At least 11 million metric tons of plastic pollution enter the ocean per year, and without urgent action to cut plastic production, this number is expected to triple by 2040. With more than 170 trillion plastic particles estimated to be floating on the ocean’s surface alone—and with many more accumulating beneath the waves and on the seafloor—plastic poses a serious threat to sea turtles (and all marine life). Learn more.

★ 5 Ways to Love the Ocean on World Oceans Day
On June 8 we celebrated World Oceans Day, a day when people across the globe come together to honor our oceans and all that they do to keep us alive. In honor of this special day, we shared five ways to love the ocean on World Oceans Day, even if you don’t happen to be near a coastline. Learn more.

★ Greenwashing 2.0: Debunking Recycling Myths
During our June 5, 2024, webinar, we discussed the realities and harmful impacts of plastic recycling, from recycling’s toxic transfer and magnification of plastic chemicals, to its links to waste colonialism and injustice, microplastic pollution, real solutions, and much more. Our panelists included Davis Allen, Investigative Researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity; Jim Puckett, Executive Director of the Basel Action Network; and Kristine Kubat, Executive Director of Recycle Hawaii. The conversation was moderated by Aditi Varshneya, Network Development Manager at GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives). Watch here.

★ Plastic “Recycling” is a False Solution to Plastic Pollution
Recycling messages have been communicated to us across all types of media and in many different ways: in advertising campaigns, imprinted recycling symbols on plastic products, and much more. Yet, despite this major push for recycling plastic, plastic pollution and its toxic impacts continue to grow. There is plenty of evidence that plastic recycling is not only failing to live up to its promises, it is also making plastic pollution worse. In contrast, by focusing on plastic-free reuse, we can tap into a solution that ends wastefulness at the source. Learn more.

➤ Find more Latest News on our website.

★ Member Spotlight: Kate McLeod, Notpla, Sea Hugger, Sungai Watch
PPC 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. This month, we highlight four members who are eliminating plastic and chemicals from personal care products, creating regenerative seaweed-based plastic alternatives, inspiring plastic-free actions for our oceans, and stemming the tide of plastic pollution flowing through rivers. Learn more.

★ Framework for Alternatives to Single-Use Plastic Products for a UN Plastics Treaty
PPC Coalition Manager Aidan Maguire recently attended the Alternative to Plastic Materials Sprint, an advisory council meeting for the development of a framework that advances real solutions and prevents regrettable substitutions—which perpetuate pollution and injustice—to end plastic pollution and best protect human and environmental health. At the meeting, Aidan spoke on a panel about early adoptions for plastic-free alternatives and what it will take to scale sustainably. Hosted by the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network, the council includes 35 leaders across regions and sectors focused on establishing the framework ahead of the final round of negotiations for the UN Plastics Treaty.

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

★ PPC July Webinar: Designing a Plastic-Free Future with Regenerative Materials
On Thursday, July 18, at 2pm PST/5pm EST, join us for a special webinar where we will explore the landscape of plastic alternatives, dive into two ocean-based feedstocks, and learn how these materials are being employed for a healthier future. Our panelists include: Hoa Doan, Head of Impact and Sustainability, Notpla; Renata Massion, Senior Sustainability Manager, Cruz Foam; and Baillie Mishler, Co-Founder and Design Director, PROWL Studio. The conversation will be moderated by Aidan Maguire, Coalition Program Manager for Plastic Pollution Coalition. Sign up.

★ Plastic Free July: Join the Movement
Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution. The movement has inspired 100+ million participants in 190 countries. You making a small change will collectively make a massive difference to our communities. You can choose to refuse single-use plastics in July (and beyond!). Best of all, being part of Plastic Free July will help you to find great alternatives that can become new habits forever. Learn more and get involved.

★ 3M’s Decades-Long Attempt to Cover-Up the “Forever Chemicals” in All Our Blood
Join Beyond Plastics and award-winning investigative journalist, Sharon Lerner, on Wednesday, July 24, at 7pm ET for a free webinar delving into Lerner’s recent expose of 3M’s decades-long cover-up of the “forever chemical” PFOS/PFAS. Lerner’s article, published in both ProPublica and the New Yorker, details the experience of a 3M scientist who discovered PFOS in the blood of the general public and then learned that the company had buried evidence that the chemical was in everyone’s bodies decades earlier. Sign up.

➤ Find more Events on our website.

★ Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act
The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2023 expands and improves upon earlier versions of the bill by tapping into proven solutions that will better protect impacted communities, reform our broken recycling system, and shift the financial burden of waste management off of municipalities and taxpayers to where it belongs: the producers of plastic pollution. It builds on successful statewide laws across the country and outlines practical plastic reduction strategies to realize a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable future. Sign the petition.

★Tell EPA: Don’t Replace Lead Pipes with Plastic Pollution
An estimated 22 million people in the U.S. rely on toxic lead service lines for their water. Lead is a dangerous chemical known to damage kidneys, harm heart health, and affect brain development in children. Lead pipes disproportionately impact low-income and BIPOC (Black Indigenous and People of Color) communities. This is a public health and environmental justice emergency. Thankfully, the federal government is distributing $15 billion dollars to states to replace lead service lines. However, as states begin replacing their lead pipes, we must ensure lead pipes are not replaced with plastic pollution. Sign the petition.

➤ Find more Petitions on our website.

★ Youth Climate Justice Fund
The Youth Climate Justice Fund provides core flexible funding to emerging youth climate justice groups focused on community engagement, with the majority of leadership age 35 and younger. In 2023, the Youth Climate Justice Fund committed funding a total of $700,000 to more than 50 groups globally. Application due by July 1, 2024. Learn more and apply here.

★ Widespread Impacts to Precipitation of the East Palestine, Ohio, Train Disaster
Researchers have found that chemicals released during the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio, train disaster were carried across an area at least as vast as 16 U.S. states. Analyzing federal precipitation and pollution data routinely collected by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, they found a large area of impact from the Midwest through the Northeast and likely to Canada, and potentially as far south as North Carolina. This is larger in scale and scope than initial predictions, and experts believe this is due to pollutants rising into the atmosphere when the chemical spill was burned. Data showed high vinyl chloride concentrations with high (basic) pH levels in precipitation collected across the affected regions. Learn more.

★ Detection of Microplastics in the Human Penis
In a small study, four out of five men being treated for erectile dysfunction were found to have microplastics in their penis tissue. Of seven different plastics detected, the most common types of plastics included polyethylene terepthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP). Experts say the presence of microplastics in the penis and body may potentially be linked to erectile dysfunction in men, and that more research is urgently needed to understand the full range of impacts of microplastics on male fertility and reproduction. Learn more.

➤ Find more Resources in our Resource Library.