Dear John,

The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) will convene in Nairobi, Kenya, February 28–March 2, 2022 to discuss, among other things, the process for negotiating a Global Plastics Treaty. This is an unprecedented opportunity to urge world leaders to create a legally binding global treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastic—from extraction to disposal. Please add your name and share the petition to help “make it bold, make it binding!” And find out what happens after UNEA during our next webinar on Wednesday, March 16, where we will debrief with experts currently on the ground in Nairobi for UNEA 5.2. Sign up.

Speaking of webinars, our February 16 webinar “Don’t Look Down”: How Misinformation & Science Denial Obscures the Global Plastics and Climate Crisis was a powerful discussion on the intersection of plastic pollution and climate change—and how the fossil fuel industry has weaponized misinformation to blame people for the pollution that industry creates. With over 800 sign-ups and many important questions, we extended the webinar nearly half an hour longer than anticipated. This was an episode not to be missed; check it out.

Onward,

Julia Cohen
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Plastic Pollution Coalition

★ Activists Deliver 67,482 Signatures to U.S. Dept. of State Ahead of UNEA 5.2
On February 16, activists from the #breakfreefromplastic movement met with a staff member from the U.S. Department of State to deliver 67,482 petition signatures calling for the United States to support a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty covering the full life cycle of plastic at UNEA 5.2. Several countries have already announced their commitment for a global treaty covering the full life cycle of plastics, including Canada, France, South Korea, and the United States. Individuals may continue to sign on to support the call to action.

★ Los Angeles City Council Votes To Reduce Single-Use Plastics
On February 16, the Los Angeles City Council voted to take a multi-prong approach to single-use plastics source reduction to be implemented in short- and long-term phases. The proposals, which were outlined in LASAN’s environmental review, cover:

• EPS foodware ban (Prohibit the manufacturing, sale, and use of specific expanded polystyrene [EPS] foodware items and packaging)
• Lifting all exemptions on the plastic bag ban
• Implementing the city department zero waste plan (Adopt policies for City operations, departments, and events that prohibit single-use plastic and expanded polystyrene)
• Comprehensive single-use plastic reduction strategies (Implement comprehensive single-use plastic reduction strategies, including a mandate to require reusable foodware for on-site dining and a fee on disposables)

★ French Shipping Line to Stop Transporting Plastic Waste on Its Ships
On February 11, French shipping line CMA CGM announced that beginning on June 1, they will no longer transport plastic waste on their ships. The commitment was in response to the call made by The Last Beach Cleanup, the Basel Action Network (BAN), and 50 other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Plastic Pollution Coalition. The Basel Action Network and The Last Beach Cleanup launched the Global Shipping Lines Campaign one year ago, calling on the world's largest shipping lines, Hapag-Lloyd (Germany) Maersk (Denmark), CMA CGM (France), MSC (Switzerland), Hamburg Sud (Germany) Hyundai Merchant Marine (Korea), Evergreen (Taiwan), COSCO (China), and Orient Shipping (Jordan), to "prove their sustainability commitments and keep their promises to protect the marine and terrestrial environment by pledging not to transport plastic waste to countries that are ill-equipped to handle it in an environmentally sound manner."

★ February Webinar—Don’t Look Down: How Misinformation & Science Denial Obscures the Global Plastics and Climate Crisis
On February 16, 2022, we were joined by an amazing panel of plastic and climate experts for a discussion on the impacts of plastics on climate and human health and how industry uses science denial and misinformation to prevent urgent and transformative solutions from being adopted. Our panel included Yvette Arellano, Founder & Executive Director of Fenceline Watch; Shilpi Chhotray, Co-Founder & Executive Director of People Over Plastic; and Dr. Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science & Director, Earth System Science Center, Pennsylvania State University, whose work and persona provided inspiration for Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the satirical film Don’t Look Up. Watch the recording.

★ People Over Plastic Podcast Wraps Season One with Powerful Episode Focused on Movement Leaders
In “Still in My Backyard,” host Shilpi Chhotray gets personal with three incredible leaders from different parts of the world who spend a lot of time on the intersection of plastic, climate, health, and environmental justice. Guests Von Hernandez, Yvette Arellano, and Tiza Mafira were also featured in the Emmy-winning documentary The Story of Plastic. Listen to the episode.

★ Sign on to Support a Bold and Binding Global Plastics Treaty
Nearly 1,000 organizations have signed on to a call for the United Nations to negotiate a new legally binding global instrument that covers plastic pollution across its entire life cycle—from extraction to disposal. See why it’s so important, sign the petition, and please share!

★ Tell Amazon: Stop Polluting Our Planet With Plastic Packaging!
Oceana’s recent report reveals that Amazon generated an estimated 599 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2020, with up to 23.5 million pounds of this plastic waste entering the world’s waterways and seas. Find out more and sign our petition to tell Amazon to stop polluting our planet with plastic packaging.

★ March 16 Webinar—The Global Plastics Treaty: What You Need To Know
What is the Global Plastics Treaty, and what do we mean when we say it needs to be “legally binding” and “address the full life cycle of plastic”? And what does the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) in Nairobi have to do with it? Hear from the experts on March 16, 2022 as we explore the need and opportunity to negotiate a bold and binding global commitment to address plastic pollution, and find out what happened at UNEA 5.2 from some key people who were on the ground there. Sign up.