Dear John,

We have something very special for you this month. To celebrate the Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Writing: Documentary category at the 42nd Annual News & Documentary Emmys, Discovery is offering The Story of Plastic film for FREE on their YouTube channel through the end of September!

Please watch and share this important documentary with your family, friends, and professional networks. It's a must-see as it illuminates the work being done by activists, both in the US and around the world, to solve the plastic pollution crisis and effect meaningful systems change. And let’s hope for a win at the awards ceremony on September 29.

There’s lots more happening too, of course. You can find out details below.

With gratitude,

Dianna Cohen
Co-Founder & CEO
Plastic Pollution Coalition

* Dianna Cohen Photo: Copyright Kieran E. Scott from 200 Women, www.twohundredwomen.com

★ US: Tell Biden to Stop New & Expanded Petrochemical Facilities
The problem with plastic and petrochemicals goes even deeper than pollution poisoning our oceans and waterways. The production and refinement of plastics is sickening frontline communities that have faced environmental racism for decades, if not centuries, while these same petrochemical facilities continue exacerbating the climate crisis. Join the national movement demanding President Biden stop the permitting of these facilities.

★ US: National Park Service petition
Sign the petition asking the Honorable Deb Haaland, US Secretary of the Interior, to ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastic in US National Parks.

★ US: Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act petition
Tell your representatives it's time to support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021 for the health and future of humans, animals, waterways, oceans, and the environment.

★ Global: Reopen with Reuse
Join Plastic Pollution Coalition members and allies in calling on restaurants, festivals, and national parks to reopen with reuse. Foodservice businesses already require strict safety standards to make sure reusables are sanitized, so let’s make our voices heard.

★ Earth Island Institute recently filed a lawsuit against BlueTriton Brands (formerly Nestlé Waters North America) for false and deceptive marketing (Aug. 27). BlueTriton represents itself as an environmentally friendly company despite its significant and ongoing contributions to plastic pollution and its depletion of natural water resources.

★ Greenpeace USA released a new report, “The Climate Emergency Unpacked: How Consumer Goods Companies are Fueling Big Oil's Plastic Expansion” (Sept. 14) The report highlights how global brands like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé are driving Big Oil's expansion of plastic production, threatening the global climate and communities worldwide. Be sure to check out our upcoming webinar on September 29, where Graham Forbes, Global Plastics Project Leader at Greenpeace, will discuss the report.

★ September webinar (Sept. 29)
This webinar will feature Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Obama, who will discuss the nexus between plastic production and climate change, including the immense environmental justice impacts, and Graham Forbes, Global Plastics Project Leader at Greenpeace, who will discuss how consumer goods companies’ reliance on single-use plastic packaging is providing a lifeline for Big Oil. This important conversation is especially relevant ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference 2021 in November, where world leaders are scheduled to gather in Glasgow, Scotland, with the goal to accelerate action on climate change. Sign up here.

★ Fairfax 350 will host Plastic Free Forum 2021 (Sept. 25), a panel discussion about single-use plastic consumption, its contributions to climate change, and solutions to the plastic problem.

★ Tune into the 42nd Annual News & Documentary Emmy awards ceremony, to see if The Story of Plastic will win! (Sept. 29)

★ Applications to Small But Perfectly Formed will close on Oct. 3. This program is designed to accelerate small and medium fashion enterprises in Europe to transition to circular and sustainable models. Your product or service must have sustainability at its core, but you can be anywhere in the fashion value chain, from retail to recycling.

★ Food Packaging Forum (FPF) will host “Different perspectives on food contact materials: Working together to make FCMs safer”, an online workshop (Oct. 6-8). On Friday, Oct. 8, Florian Suter of FPF will lead a session on the Understanding Packaging (UP) Scorecard: A new tool to reduce environmental and human health impacts. See a video of the UP Scorecard intro event here, as well as our related blog.

★ The Brower Youth Awards ceremony will take place on Oct. 14. From climate justice to water conservation to plastics pollution, this year’s winners are tackling some of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. Join Earth Island and its New Leaders Initiative program to honor these inspiring young leaders in a free two-part virtual event: the Brower Youth Awards ceremony, on October 14, 5:00-6:30 p.m. Pacific Time, and a Q&A with the winners, on October 19, 5:00-6:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Register here.

★ Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) is hosting a national event on Oct. 26 to demonstrate the urgent need to address the crisis of environmental racism, the destruction of natural resources, and the climate crisis. Tune in and sign the petition asking President Biden to immediately halt approvals for new and expanded fossil-fueled petrochemical projects including cracker plants and create a pathway for fenceline communities to participate in reforming existing emission regulations for existing infrastructure with a standard of safety.

★ The Sustainable Production Forum will take place Oct. 25-29. The event is hosted by Green Spark Group and is called the World's Premier Event for Greening Motion Picture. Register here.

★ WE’RE HIRING!
Director of Development

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