Dear John,

Happy Halloween! Do you know what I find really scary? Plastic, microplastics, and plastic pollution!

Why? Plastics and their chemicals are insidious, hiding in plain sight, and leaching into our food and beverages, and our beauty, health, and cleaning products. Ninety-nine percent of plastics are made from oil and fossil fuels, and the added plasticizing chemicals poison people and all living things.

For the past 15 years, at Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) we have been working hard to expose greenwashing and share real solutions to the global plastics crisis, in culture, business practices, and policy. We realized early on that cleanups only skim the surface, and that to solve plastic pollution, we need to turn off the plastic tap. We are so grateful for those who have been with us since the beginning, like PPC Notable Member Jeff Bridges, who created a special video message for our anniversary on October 24, and so many other amazing allies.

On October 8, the U.S. EPA released a new rule that could stop the distribution and use of billions of single-use plastic water bottles. The rule requires water systems with continuously high levels of lead to make available filters, ensuring a safe source of drinking water without forcing families to rely on costly single-use plastic bottles that pollute our bodies and environment. This is a huge win for PPC's Filtered Not Bottled campaign. 

The next U.S. President will take office in January 2025, and the policies they implement over the next four years could help stop plastic pollution—or allow this urgent global crisis to worsen. We explored the role that the next President and the federal government need to play in eliminating plastic pollution in our recent October webinar. 

As we look ahead, negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty are set to wrap up in early December, making this a pivotal moment in our fight against plastic pollution. This treaty is a historic opportunity to support real solutions to stop plastic pollution and its toxic impacts. We’re proud to partner with Greenpeace International and Break Free From Plastic on the Champions of Change initiative, helping to engage more than 350 businesses around the world urging governments to adopt an ambitious agreement that will cut plastic production and phase out single-use plastic.

I’ll be on the ground in Busan, South Korea, with PPC team members and allies, advocating for the strongest treaty possible. Stay tuned to PPC channels for updates as the negotiations progress during INC-5 (Nov. 25–Dec. 1).

Onward together,

Dianna Cohen
Co-Founder & CEO
Plastic Pollution Coalition

P.S. To celebrate our 15th Anniversary, we’re giving away plastic-free swag bags —with a donation of just $15 or more, you’ll be entered to win a reusable canvas bag with a pair of stainless steel reusable straws, pint cups, water bottles, bamboo utensil sets, and a copy of Christine Figgener’s book: My Life With Sea Turtles or Erica Cirino’s book Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastics Crisis. Thank you for supporting our work to educate, connect, and advocate for a more just, equitable world free of plastic pollution. 

★ Plastic Kills… Again! Short Film Contest Announcement
Announcing Plastic Kills… Again! Plastic Pollution Coalition has teamed up with Earth Angel for a second round of our popular Plastic Kills short film contest. We’re challenging filmmakers to create original horror short films that highlight the terrors of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on our bodies, children, pets, and planet, while also helping to show real solutions to this real-life menace. This time, we’re offering cash prizes for first, second, and third place, with a grand prize of $3,000. Submissions are due September 15, 2025, giving you plenty of time to scare up your spookiest stories. Learn more and sign up for email updates.

★ Staff Picks: Our Plastic-Free Halloween Favorites
This year, enjoy a hauntingly good Halloween—and ditch the plastic. Unsure of what to hand out to trick-or-treaters without resorting to plastic-wrapped candy? From zero-waste costumes and decorations to plastic-free serving options, our staff at PPC compiled a list of our favorite tricks (and treats!) for a sustainable, eco-friendly Halloween. Enjoy the holidays plastic-free. Learn more.

★ Cleanups Only Skim the Surface. To Solve Plastic Pollution, Turn Off the Plastic Tap.
As fossil fuel and petrochemical industries continue to ramp up plastic production, humanity is facing plastic’s toxic impacts, persistent injustices, and health consequences. Polluting companies promote cleanups to well-meaning individuals and groups and even fund these efforts to continue business as usual by putting the responsibility on individuals. But they ignore the bigger picture: when the tub is overflowing, we can’t simply mop the floor while the tap pours exponentially faster. Learn more.

★ Plastic In Our History: Discovering Microplastics in our Archeological Digs
Archeologists working with the universities of York and Hull have published research showing that microplastics are present in archeological soil samples. The sites were as old as the late first century CE, and excavated from as far as 7.35 meters (more than 24 feet) below Earth’s surface. How is plastic—a material only mass-produced since the 1940s—becoming a part of ancient history? Learn more.

★ U.S. EPA’s Lead Pipe Rule Reduces Lead and Plastic Pollution, But Falls Short
While significant progress has been made in the final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), including the reduction of the lead action level from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb and the requirement for most water utilities to replace lead pipes in 10 years, the news brings mixed reactions for advocates who have been tirelessly calling for safe drinking water. The final rule has several lingering gaps and missed opportunities, including the absence of language mandating water systems to replace lead pipes on private property. Learn more.

★ Single-Use Plastics Dominate Korean Reality TV, Greenpeace Says
A new report from Greenpeace East Asia, inspired by PPC’s Flip the Script on Plastics initiative, exposes the indiscriminate amount of single-use plastics displayed on screen in Korean reality television. Greenpeace East Asia created the report with guidance from PPC and based on the foundational report “Flip The Script: Can Hollywood Help Us Imagine a Future Without Plastic?”, which looked at the prevalence of single-use plastics in scripted television in the United States between 2019 and 2020. Learn more.

★ Staff Picks: Our Favorite Plastic-Free Fall Recipes
Are you craving a hearty soup? How about a rich risotto or a seasonal cake? Our team at PPC is happy to share some of our favorite plastic-free fall recipes. Whether you’re hosting an intimate gathering or an elaborate party, we’ve got you covered—there’s even a fondue. Learn more.

★That’s a Wrap: Our Recap of Climate Week NYC 2024
With over 600+ events throughout the city, thousands of people gathered to discuss and activate around the climate crisis — including many of our PPC Executive Advisory Board Members, Notables, Scientific Advisors, Organizational and Business Members, Youth Ambassadors, staff, and allies from the Break Free From Plastic movement. This year’s theme was “It’s Time,” and there’s never been a more urgent time to emphasize the connection between plastics and climate change, especially given the ongoing historic UN Global Plastics Treaty discussions. Learn more.

★ PPC October Webinar: Plastic-Free President: The Future of U.S. Policy on Plastics
The next U.S. President will take office in January 2025, and the policies they implement over the next four years could help stop plastic pollution—or allow this urgent global crisis to worsen. On October 23, 2024, we discussed recommendations and priorities for the next U.S. Administration to protect people and the planet with Judith Enck, President, Beyond Plastics; Jenny Hernandez, Climate Justice Framework Program Manager, Green Latinos; and Alexa White PhD, Climate and Environmental Justice Policy Director, Hip Hop Caucus. This webinar was moderated by Amy Westervelt, Executive Editor, Drilled. Watch the recording.

➤ Find more Latest News on our website.

★ Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum
The PPC team was on the ground at the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum in Philadelphia, PA, Oct. 29–30. Coalition Program Manager Aidan Maguire spoke on the panel “How is the Global Plastics Treaty going to impact policy and business strategy in the US?”, and PPC Managing Director Julia Cohen spoke on the closing panel “Looking forward: What is needed to deliver packaging targets by 2030?” Learn more.

★ Champions of Change: Business Leaders Call for Production Cuts in Global Plastics Treaty
Over 350 businesses globally, including many PPC Business Members, have signed an open letter urging governments to adopt an ambitious agreement that will cut plastic production and phase out single-use plastic. “Champions of Change,” a joint initiative of Greenpeace International, PPC, and the Break Free from Plastic movement, launched October 30 ahead of the final Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Busan, South Korea this November. Learn more.

★ I’m Plastic-Free
Looking for products that don’t harm the planet or you? Visit Implasticfree.com to find new and creative ways to reduce plastic waste, swap plastic for other regenerative, plastic-free materials, lower your microplastic exposure, learn about changes and developments in the industry, and connect with other innovative companies that are making a difference. This platform is woman-owned and operated with transparent values to encourage better business practices. Learn more.

★ Sway Polybags to Be Used by Big Brands
Exciting news from Sway this month, as they just announced the launch of the Sway Innovation Coalition, a crew of leading apparel brands that will be using this packaging throughout Q4 2024–Q1 2025. This marks the first time Sway Polybags will be used in global supply chains. Four leading fashion brands (prAna, Florence, Faherty and Alex Crane) are now piloting Sway Polybags to disrupt the fashion industry’s reliance on conventional plastic. Learn more.

★ PPC Allies & Notables Among the “20 Most Empowering Latinos Fighting Climate Change”
The list of the “20 Most Empowering Latinos Fighting Climate Change” by People in Español published this month included PPC Organization Ally Green Latinos, Climate Justice & Clean Air Program Director Irene Burgas, and PPC Notables “Queer Brown Vegan” Isias Hernandez and actor Rosario Dawson. Congratulations to all of them!

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

★ Art exhibition by Álvaro Soler-Arpa: Especies Mensajeras (“Messenger Species”)
Through his sculptures, PPC Artist Ally Álvaro Soler-Arpa invites us to reflect on the devastating impact of pollution on the natural world and the urgent need to take measures to protect biodiversity. The exhibition is open Oct. 9, 2024–Jan. 26, 2025 at Círculo De Bellas Artes–Sala Goya (Goya Room) Calle Alcalá, 42. in Madrid, Spain. Learn more.

★ Plasticulture: The Rise of Sustainable Practices with Polymers
SVA presents “Plasticulture: The Rise of Sustainable Practices with Polymers,” an exhibition of works by 15 artists from Project Vortex, an artist collective innovating with plastic debris, and curated by founding artist Aurora Robson, October 26–December 7 in New York, NY. Learn more.

★ Buy Now! documentary premieres on Netflix on November 20
Directed by Emmy-winning writer and filmmaker Nic Stacey, Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy pulls back the curtain on the world’s top brands, exposing the hidden tactics and covert strategies used to keep all of us locked in an endless cycle of buying—no matter the cost.

★ The Cigarette Surfboard documentary premieres at film festivals
Small decisions and actions, like littering a cigarette butt, cumulatively can have a large impact, for better or for worse. This immersive documentary provides viewers an up-close experience of the ocean through surfers’ eyes, to amplify a message of urgency and possibility regarding the ocean’s wellbeing. As our ocean faces mounting threats, and surfing continues to grow, we have a responsibility to protect it. Watch the trailer.

★ Waste-Free Future Summit
Join Just Zero for their inaugural Waste-Free Future Summit November 13–15, 2024. Five free, virtual sessions will highlight innovative tools and successful strategies that communities across the U.S. can utilize to tackle the waste crisis. Just Zero staff members will be joined by prominent experts, activists, and communicators, including Diane Wilson, keynote speaker, author, activist, and executive director of San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper. Register here.

➤ Find more Events on our website.

★ Tell World Leaders to Take a Strong Stance on the Global Plastics Treaty
The UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations are underway. Urge world leaders to lead by forging ambitious solutions—like reduction of plastic production and freedom from corporate influence—instead of leading the world in generating plastic pollution. Sign the petition to the U.S. Government. Outside the U.S? Sign the petition to world leaders. 

★ Add Your Face to the #WeAreWatching Eye
For the final scheduled UN Plastics Treaty negotiating session, INC-5, Greenpeace is assembling a monumental flag that shows an eye made up of thousands of portraits from around the world. It will fly above Busan, South Korea, during INC-5 in late November, to hold leaders accountable as they decide the future of our planet. Add your photo to #WeAreWatching to show world leaders that your eyes are on Busan. Add your photo.

★ Tell Starbucks: Build a Better (Reusable) Cup Campaign
Tell Starbucks Chairman & CEO Brian Niccol to promote and increase incentives and discounts for reusable cups. Starbucks uses more than 8,000 plastic cups and plastic-lined paper cups per minute, and up to 6 billion disposable cups and mugs worldwide each year. Most of this ends up in landfills, the environment, or is incinerated. Sign the petition.

➤ Find more Ways to Take Action

★ Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know, 2nd edition by Judith Weis
This book discusses the sources of marine pollutants, their effects on marine organisms and humans, and how to reduce or eliminate them. The updated 2nd edition reflects recent research and features a new chapter on microplastics. Order online and enter the code ASPROMP8 for a 30% discount.

★ CNN Call to Earth Day, December 4
On December 4, 2024, schools, individuals, and organizations across the world will take action through a series of clean-ups in a collective effort to improve the planet. You can register your event through CNN here. While cleanups are helpful, at PPC we encourage any cleanup efforts to add brand audits, an essential part of holding plastic polluters accountable so we can ultimately turn off the plastic tap.

★ Screen Cafeteria Culture’s Film “Microplastic Madness" at Your School
Inspire your students to take plastic-free action with Cafeteria Culture’s award-winning, student-led movie, “Microplastic Madness.” This uplifting and informative real-life story shows how students started the first Plastic Free Lunch Day. It is sure to spark a lively discussion. Learn more.

★ The Bow Seat 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest
The theme of the Bow Seat 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest—Connections to Nature: Looking Inside, Going Outside—encourages you to explore the natural world and your place in it. Open to students worldwide between the ages of 11–18. Cash awards up to $1,000. Submit by June 9, 2025.

➤ Find more Resources in our Resource Library.