Plus new Built Environment Report and more happening with PPC

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OCTOBER 2025

[Happy (almost) Halloween]([link removed])

Dear John,

[Happy (almost) Halloween!]([link removed]) Do you know what I find truly terrifying? The influx of microplastics around us in our everyday environment, and the buildup of plastic inside our bodies. You probably saw the headlines earlier this year about how a plastic spoon’s worth of microplastics can accumulate inside our brains. This and so many other scary [facts]([link removed]) are why we work every day on solutions—to stop plastic pollution where it starts.

Be sure to [sign up for the Nov. 8 livestream of TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch]([link removed]), to explore the question How Do We Solve Plastic Pollution by 2040? The talks will feature thought leaders who are at the forefront of the issue. Don’t miss it!

If you can make it to Santa Monica, CA, on Nov. 7, please [attend our first Plastic Pollution Solutions Expo]([link removed])! We’ll be taking a look at solutions that could help turn the tide on plastic pollution in an open-format, walk-through event, with Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) Business Members including Ahimsa, Cruz Foam, Ettitude, Notpla, and many more.

A major legal win just came out of California this month, which closed longstanding loopholes in the state’s plastic bag ban. Advocates, including [PPC]([link removed]) and [The Last Beach Cleanup]([link removed]), have pushed for accountability on this for over a decade. Attorney General Rob Bonta [announced a settlement]([link removed]) between California and four large plastic bag manufacturers that requires the companies to stop selling single-use plastic bags in the state and pay $1.7 million in penalties for falsely
claiming their products were recyclable.

Speaking of California, we recently weighed in on the nonstick cookware debate in an op-ed in the [Santa Cruz Sentinel]([link removed]). The short version: we don’t need to add even more toxins into our food.

Stay tuned for the winners of our Flip the Script on Plastics initiative, the horror short film competition [Plastic Kills… Again!]([link removed]), to be announced on Halloween. And if you missed our major report launch last month, How Plastics Fuel Wildfires & How to Rebuild Better, check it out [here]([link removed]).

We know there are many important issues to care about in the world right now, and we’re deeply grateful for your continued engagement with us as we work toward a world free of plastic pollution. We will continue to tell the truth about plastic pollution and amplify [real solutions]([link removed])—for the sake of all of us alive now and future generations.

Onward,

[Amelia HansonNuñez]

Amelia Hanson
Project Manager
Plastic Pollution Coalition

P.S. Please [support us]([link removed])—every donation matters and helps fund our critical work during these uncertain times.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

[Big Win: California Upholds Plastic Bag Ban]([link removed])

★ [Big Win: California Upholds Plastic Bag Ban]([link removed])
On October 17, 2025, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement between California and four large plastic bag manufacturers, requiring that the companies stop selling single-use plastic bags in the state and pay $1.7 million in penalties for falsely claiming their products were recyclable. This is a major victory for communities, ecosystems, and public health. Plastic producers are being held accountable for misleading recyclability claims on plastic bags, setting an important precedent for enforcing truth in labeling and moving toward genuine plastic reduction. [Read more]([link removed]).

★ [We Don’t Need to Poison People to Have Non-Stick Cookware]([link removed])
California is leading the way on this issue to protect our health. But when chefs oppose laws that protect people to instead protect their kitchenware profits, families are put at risk. Chefs carefully choose the best, freshest ingredients to nourish hearts and bodies alike. So why sacrifice integrity for toxic cookware? [Read our guest commentary in the Santa Cruz Sentinel]([link removed]).

★ [Pets & Plastic: Unleashing the Truth]([link removed])
Around 65.1 million Americans report having a dog, and 46.5 million Americans have at least one cat, according to a 2025 Forbes report on pets. Add pet accessories, foods, and toys to that equation, and you get around roughly 300 million pounds of plastic packaging each year wasted. So how do we undo the plastic problem? [Read more]([link removed]).

★ [Tips for Killer Plastic-Free Halloween Costumes]([link removed])
Who says you have to sacrifice creativity or style to find plastic-free Halloween outfits? With repurposing and some simple swaps, you can put together costumes that aren’t full of plastic. Here's how to make your spooky season less wasteful while still looking absolutely killer. [Read more]([link removed]). And if assembling your Halloween costume has made you hungry, we also recommend you [check out our plastic-free fall recipe suggestions]([link removed]).

➤ Find more [Latest News on our website]([link removed]).

COALITION CORNER & OPPORTUNITIES

[TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch livestream, Nov. 8, 9am–5pm PT]([link removed])

★ [TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch livestream, Nov. 8, 9am–5pm PT]([link removed])
On November 8, from 9am–5pm PT, TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch will be livestreamed from Santa Monica, CA, featuring sessions with global thought leaders addressing the question: How Do We Solve Plastic Pollution by 2040? Topics include microplastics and human health, environmental justice, climate change, and much more. Take part in this exciting event from wherever you are in the world! Even if you can’t watch live, be sure to sign up to receive information about the archived talks after the event. [Sign up]([link removed]).

★ [2025 Plastic Pollution Solutions Expo | Nov. 7, Santa Monica, CA]([link removed])
Come join us on November 7,1–4pm PT, for our first-ever [Plastic Pollution Solutions Expo]([link removed]). This open-format, walk-through event is designed to bring together a diverse audience to stimulate knowledge sharing and provide exposure for upstream solutions. From regenerative materials for textiles and packaging to stainless steel reuse systems, you’ll engage with leaders and innovators like PPC Business Members Cruz Foam, Ettitude, GOB, and LOLIWARE. [Register here]([link removed]).

★ [Tell Celestial Seasonings to Make its Tea Plastic-Free]([link removed])
Steeping one bag of tea can release billions of micro- and nanoplastics into your tea—turning a hot and cozy beverage into a serious health risk. Join PPC and Center for Environmental Health in calling on Celestial Seasonings, one of the largest tea companies in the world, to use plastic-free tea bags. [Sign the petition]([link removed]).

➤ Visit our website for more [Resources]([link removed]), [Events]([link removed]), and [Ways to Take Action]([link removed]).

Your donation makes a difference.
[Donate]([link removed])

#plasticpollutes

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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

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