Dear John,

Exciting news as California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced in late April a historic investigation 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 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.

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 to learn more about Break Free From Plastic’s Toxic Tours, which we recently nominated for The Earthshot Prize.

Onward together,

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

★ California Department of Justice Launches Unprecedented Investigation Into Plastics Industry
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced this month a historic investigation 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 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.

★ 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. 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 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.

★ 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.

★ New Oceana Report: Recycled Plastic Content Pledges by Coca-Cola and Pepsi Won’t Save the Oceans
A new report 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.

★ 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. Sign the petition 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
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 to support meaningful legislation to address the plastic pollution crisis.

★ 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.

★ 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 have created virtual Toxic Tours, 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 platform—which we at Plastic Pollution Coalition nominated for The Earthshot Prize—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, 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.

Congratulations, Erica Cirino! We’re excited to announce that our Communications Manager, Erica Cirino, has won the Nautilus Gold Book Award in the Ecology & Environment category for her book, Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis. Visit this website and use the code PPC25 for 25% off the book. And be sure to check out our previous webinar focused on Erica's book and research.

Want to work with us? Check out our open positions and pass them along to anyone you know who might be interested.