A Major Blow to Big Oil After “Decades of Deception”
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[1]

MAY 2022

[2]

Dear John,

Exciting news as California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced in late
April a historic investigation [2] into the role of FOSSIL FUEL AND
PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES in a “DECADES-LONG CAMPAIGN OF DECEPTION”
about the HARMFUL IMPACTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION, and for causing and
exacerbating the global plastic pollution crisis. At the center of the
investigation is ExxonMobil, the fossil-fuel giant who, along with major
plastic polluters like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé, has for decades
contributed untold sums of money to Keep America Beautiful, a greenwashing
media public service campaign and nonprofit organization that, in the
1970s, began producing PSAs and commercials [3] blaming consumers for
plastic pollution.

Speaking of which, it’s impossible to talk about the decades of deception
by the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries without talking about
recycling. To date, ONLY 9% OF ALL PLASTIC EVER PRODUCED HAS BEEN RECYCLED,
and while industry has largely blamed this on consumers, the fact is that
PLASTIC WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO BE RECYCLED. Read more [4].

Finally, our June webinar will take you on a VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE FRONTLINE
COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY PLASTIC PRODUCTION and petrochemical
facilities. Sign up [5] to learn more about Break Free From Plastic’s
Toxic Tours [6], which we recently nominated for The Earthshot Prize [7].

Onward together,

Jackie Nuñez
Founder, The Last Plastic Straw
Advocacy & Engagement Manager, Plastic Pollution Coalition

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

[2]

★ CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE LAUNCHES UNPRECEDENTED INVESTIGATION
INTO PLASTICS INDUSTRY
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced this month a historic
investigation [2] into the role of fossil fuel and petrochemical industries
in a “decades-long campaign of deception” about the harmful impacts of
plastic pollution, and for causing and exacerbating the global plastic
pollution crisis. At the center of the investigation is ExxonMobil, the
fossil-fuel giant who, along with major plastic polluters like Coca-Cola,
PepsiCo, and Nestlé, has for decades contributed untold sums of money to
Keep America Beautiful, a greenwashing media public service campaign and
nonprofit organization that, in the 1970s, began producing PSAs and
commercials [3] blaming consumers for plastic pollution.

★ Recycling Myths Debunked
People often ask what really happens to their plastic recycling.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter WHERE you set out your plastic for
recycling collection, whether at the end of your driveway, at your local
recycling center, or in a municipal recycling bin: MOST PLASTIC ITEMS
COLLECTED AS RECYCLING ARE NOT ACTUALLY RECYCLED. Surprisingly, PLASTIC IS
NOT DESIGNED TO BE RECYCLED. Learn more [4].

★ BEYOND PLASTICS LAUNCHES NEW TOOL CONNECTING LOCAL GROUPS
Beyond Plastics has created a new and powerful tool for the movement
against plastic pollution by launching a network of Local Groups and
Affiliates [8]. These local organizations will work individually and
collectively to tackle plastic pollution across the United States. Their
target audience is grassroots groups and existing environmental and justice
organizations who are not already working on plastic pollution or who want
to level-up their advocacy skills. Additionally, Beyond Plastics is
inviting local activists who may want to organize a new group. A two-part
training will be hosted later this month to help bring new friends and
allies to the movement by explaining grassroots campaign skills and plastic
as a climate and environmental justice issue. Sign up [9] and share with
anyone you feel may benefit from this training.

★ PEOPLE OVER PLASTIC PODCAST SEASON 2, EPISODE 2
In “How the hell did it get HERE?”, get to know the touching personal
story of a Filipino Bureau of Customs Official who has dedicated his
30-year career to ensuring foreign trash is not illegally smuggled into his
country. John Simon went from being an everyday customs collector to
capturing the attention of international headlines for stopping the biggest
waste shipment—containing 8,000 tons of garbage—from being dumped in
the Philippines. Tune in to hear John Simon’s story of courage and the
corrupt business of waste [10].

★ TWO STRONG PACKAGING REDUCTION BILLS INTRODUCED IN NEW YORK
On May 5th, Assembly member Steven Englebright, Chair of the New York State
Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee introduced two new bills to
reduce packaging, improve recycling, and reduce litter. One of the bills
would enact Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging. The other bill,
a.k.a. the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, would expand New York’s effective
40-year-old container deposit bill to include non-carbonated beverages,
wine, and liquor, and modernize the bill by raising the deposit from a
nickel to a dime. Learn more [11].

★ NEW OCEANA REPORT: RECYCLED PLASTIC CONTENT PLEDGES BY COCA-COLA AND
PEPSI WON’T SAVE THE OCEANS
A new report [12] commissioned by Oceana exposes the weakness of plastic
recycled content pledges by giants like The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo.
The analysis, conducted by Eunomia Research & Consulting, found that if the
top five beverage companies meet their pledges—and it’s far from
certain that they will—these pledges would only reduce aquatic pollution
from single-use plastic bottles by 7%. Learn more [12].

TAKE ACTION

[13]

★ Support the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act
Earlier this year, nearly 70,000 citizens petitioned the Department of
Interior to eliminate the sale and distribution of single-use plastics
throughout the National Park Service, an initiative that is supported by
over 80% of voting Americans [14]. Sign the petition [15] to tell your
member of Congress to make our national parks plastic-free spaces and
protect our most beloved public lands, waterways, wildlife, and oceans.

★ SUPPORT THE BREAK FREE FROM PLASTIC POLLUTION ACT [16]
The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act builds on successful statewide
laws across the U.S. and outlines practical plastic reduction strategies to
realize a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable future. Sign on
[16] to support meaningful legislation to address the plastic pollution
crisis.

★ Tell Amazon: Stop Polluting Our Planet with Plastic Packaging!
Oceana’s recent report [17] 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 [17] and sign our petition [18] to tell Amazon to stop
polluting our planet with plastic packaging.

UPCOMING EVENT

[19]

★ June 22 Webinar—Toxic Tours: Virtually Experience the Impact of
Plastic Production on Frontline Communities
To ELEVATE THEIR VOICES, our partners at Break Free From Plastic [20] have
created virtual Toxic Tours [6], a COMMUNITY-LED STORYTELLING AND MAPPING
EXPERIENCE on the impacts of plastic production on frontline communities.
Join us June 22 to learn more about some of these communities and this
powerful new Toxic Tours [6] platform—which we at Plastic Pollution
Coalition NOMINATED FOR THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE [7]—to help people around the
world UNDERSTAND THE TOXIC CONSEQUENCES OF PLASTIC PRODUCTION on
communities and the environment. The webinar will be moderated by ERICA
JACKSON, Manager of Community Outreach and Support at FracTracker Alliance
[21], who will be joined by panelists LOIS BJORNSON, impacted resident in
Southwestern Pennsylvania; and DIEGO MAYEN, East Yard Communities for
Environmental Justice Community member and Oil & Gas Committee member, West
Long Beach, California.

STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS

[22]

CONGRATULATIONS, ERICA CIRINO! We’re excited to announce that our
Communications Manager, Erica Cirino [23], has won the Nautilus Gold Book
Award [24] in the Ecology & Environment category for her book, _Thicker
Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis_ [22]. Visit this
website [22] and USE THE CODE PPC25 FOR 25% OFF THE BOOK. And be sure to
check out our previous webinar [25] focused on Erica's book and research.

WANT TO WORK WITH US? Check out our open positions [26] and pass them along
to anyone you know who might be interested.

YOUR DONATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

DONATE [27]

#PLASTICPOLLUTES

[28] [29] [30] [31]

PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION is a growing global alliance of individuals,
organizations, businesses, and policymakers working toward a more just,
equitable world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on humans,
animals, waterways, oceans, and the environment. 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

SUBSCRIBE [32] | UNSUBSCRIBE [33]

Copyright © 2022 Plastic Pollution Coalition



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