Dear John,

As we reflect on Plastic Pollution Coalition’s founding in the days leading up to our 11th Anniversary, it’s amazing to think about how much has changed. Many of our campaigns, working in partnership with hundreds of Coalition members, have been years in the making.  A lot of effort has gone into building this movement and your support has been critical. We need to double our efforts, and are grateful that in honor of our 11th Anniversary, all donations will be doubled up to $11,000 by an anonymous donor!

We are facing greater and greater challenges. Companies are jumping on the “environmentally sustainable” bandwagon because they see the writing on the wall, but many are just greenwashing and promoting false solutions, such as incineration, “waste to energy,” and increasing recycling plastic. As detailed in last week’s Reuters Special Report: The Plastic Pandemic, “COVID-19 has hit plastic recycling, just as big oil firms are investing hundreds of billions of dollars to make new plastic. These investments massively exceed the industry’s spending to tackle plastic waste.”

Single-use plastic is a REALLY BIG problem—and needs REALLY BIG solutions.  Will you support our efforts to continue holding these companies accountable—and push for equitable, just, sustainable, and regenerative change?

Right now, your donation will be doubled up to $11,000 when you give by October 31. Support our work to educate and connect people and groups to advocate to stop the increase of plastic production and pollution.

Our movement still has a lot of work to do. Here are 11 major activities we are currently pursuing:

1. Hosting TEDxPlasticPollutionCoalition on Wednesday, October 14 as part of TED Countdown.
2. PPC Global Webinars, educating and informing on topics surrounding single-use plastic pollution and solutions, with our next webinar on October 27, “Unseen: Microplastics Research & Solutions.”
3. Our Global Plastic Reduction Legislative Toolkit is the primary global portal and resource for individuals, organizations, and policymakers focused on eliminating plastic pollution through policy action.
4. U.S. Federal Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 introduced in February 2020.
5. Following our Advocacy to Action grassroots training (with Oceana & Student PIRGs), supporting youth & local activist leaders with small grants to put their advocacy efforts into action.
6. Together with our fiscal sponsor, Earth Island Institute, taking Legal Action with a ground-breaking lawsuit filed against major plastic-polluting corporations in California.
7. Promoting PPC Youth Ambassador Hannah Testa of Hannah4Change’s new book “Taking on the Plastics Crisis,” published on October 13 from Pocket Change Collective (Penguin Random House).
8. Partnering with The Conrad Foundation on the new Ocean Challenge as part of the Conrad Challenge, a prestigious youth STEM innovation challenge. 
9. Launched The Healthy Pregnancy Guide (with MADE SAFE) to help navigate the challenges of preparing a nontoxic home and making healthier living choices for babies and the planet.
10. Continuing to call out major polluters through our Corporate Campaigns, including Amazon & Coca-Cola.
11. Partnered with TheJetLagged.com on an immersive 360 virtual reality film, Sea Plastic, narrated by PPC Notable Tim Robbins.

Plastic Pollution Coalition continues to promote the positive systemic change we need to create a healthier, more just, equitable world. We are thankful for your friendship, and we appreciate your support now more than ever, which will be doubled up to $11,000, on donations made by October 31.

Onward with gratitude,

Julia Cohen, MPH
Managing Director
Plastic Pollution Coalition