Celebrate the Holidays Plastic Free!
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DECEMBER 2022

Dear John,

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you and your family from everyone at Plastic Pollution
Coalition. What a year this has been for our movement, full of MANY WINS
AND MAJOR STEPS FORWARD, including:

* The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) AGREED ON A MANDATE TO
NEGOTIATE A LEGALLY BINDING TREATY addressing the full life cycle of
plastics

* The Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG-AFTRA) ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF A
“GREEN COUNCIL” [2] for film and television

* Yelp added “PLASTIC-FREE PACKAGING” [3] and other Eco-Friendly
business identifiers to their search attributes

* The California Department of Justice LAUNCHED AN unprecedented
investigation into the plastics industry

* The White House announced a phase-out of single-use plastics in U.S.
National Parks

* The U.S. Government COMMITTED TO reduce its purchasing of single-use
plastics

* The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee HELD A HEARING
DEDICATED TO THE PLASTIC POLLUTION CRISIS [4]

Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) launched our Filtered Not Bottled [5]
campaign—URGING THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO AVOID REPLACING TOXIC LEAD PIPES
WITH PLASTIC, and to provide communities with filtered, not bottled water,
during lead pipe replacement. Additionally, we created a way to measure the
representation of plastic in film and television with The Begley-Cohen Test
[6], to HELP CREATIVES CRAFT STORIES AND A CULTURE THAT IS MORE AWARE OF
THE GLOBAL PLASTICS CRISIS, and to provide the public with a tool to
identify and name entertainment projects that both pass and fail in order
to Flip the Script on Plastics [7].

There are tremendous wins already on the horizon as LOS ANGELES AND SAN
DIEGO PASSED LANDMARK PLASTIC-REDUCTION ORDINANCES [8] supported by
activist and frontline groups, and the United Nations began negotiating a
Global Plastics Treaty [9] this month in Uruguay.

As the year draws to a close, and we prepare to roll up our sleeves and
redouble our efforts in 2023, we would like to take a moment to say THANK
YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION AND OUR WORK, and for helping
us educate, advocate, connect, and communicate the truths of the global
plastics crisis to people far and wide.

Onward to a New Year and more wins to come!

[Dianna Cohen]

Dianna Cohen & the Plastic Pollution Coalition Team
Co-Founder & CEO
Plastic Pollution Coalition

P.S. This holiday season, PLEASE CONSIDER INCLUDING PLASTIC POLLUTION
COALITION IN YOUR CHARITABLE GIVING [10]. The support of our donors makes
incredible things happen, and WE COULD NOT ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION WITHOUT
YOUR GENEROSITY. Every gift EFFECTS POWERFUL CHANGE to create a more just,
equitable world free from the toxic impacts of plastic pollution!

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

[How to Celebrate the Holidays Plastic Free] [11]

★ HOW TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS PLASTIC FREE [11]
The holidays are a wonderful time for gathering with friends and family,
enjoying new experiences, and celebrating classic traditions. But too
often, WE DON’T THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH PLASTIC IS INVOLVED IN OUR HOLIDAY
MERRIMENTS. From the packaging that comes with store-bought gifts, to the
decorations, to single-use cups and plates—IT’S EASY TO GET WRAPPED UP
IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT WITHOUT BEING AWARE OF THE PLASTIC WASTE our
festivities generate. Here are our top tips for celebrating the holidays
plastic free. Read more. [11]

★ FIVE HOLIDAY FAVORITES THAT PASS THE BEGLEY-COHEN TEST
There is so much to love about the winter holiday season, BUT ALSO MASSIVE
AMOUNTS OF SINGLE-USE PLASTICS TO MANAGE AND AVOID, which can make some of
these magical moments downright stressful. In addition to plastic-wrapped
treats, plastic decorations, and plastic bows atop our gifts, SINGLE-USE
PLASTICS ARE POPPING UP IN OUR CHERISHED HOLIDAY FILMS. But not every movie
is laden with single-use plastics, and WE’VE DEVISED A TOOL TO HELP YOU
DECIPHER IF A MOVIE IS CLEAR, OR AT LEAST AWARE OF, the plastic pollution
problem: The Begley-Cohen Test. Read more. [12]

★ NEW OCEANA REPORT EXPOSES AMAZON’S PLASTIC POLLUTION NIGHTMARE
A new report from Oceana found that, in 2021, AMAZON GENERATED 709 MILLION
POUNDS OF PLASTIC PACKAGING WASTE—AN 18% INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS
YEAR’S ESTIMATE. Up to 26 million pounds of that plastic is ESTIMATED TO
END UP IN THE WORLD’S WATERWAYS AND OCEANS, yet Amazon continues to
ignore calls by shareholders and customers for company-wide action. At its
Annual General Meeting in May 2022, nearly 49% of Amazon’s
shares—totaling 181 million shares—VOTED IN FAVOR OF A RESOLUTION
ASKING THE COMPANY TO BE TRANSPARENT AND ADDRESS ITS GROWING PLASTIC
PACKAGING PROBLEM. This is the most support that a shareholder-led
resolution has received in Amazon’s history. Read more. [13]

★ PPC ADVISORS TESTIFY TO U.S. SENATE ABOUT PLASTIC POLLUTION
Last week, PPC Advisors Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics [14] and
former EPA Regional Administrator; and Dr. Pete Myers, founder and chief
scientist at Environmental Health Sciences [15], were among four expert
witnesses who were called to testify at a recent hearing of the Senate
Committee on the Environment and Public Works to examine the numerous harms
caused by plastic production and use, and identify solutions for addressing
plastic pollution. Watch here. [4]

★ CALIFORNIA’S NEW POLICIES ON PLASTICS AND FOSSIL FUELS
Earlier this month, Los Angeles (LA) City Council PASSED THREE
PLASTIC-REDUCTION ORDINANCES SUPPORTED BY ACTIVIST AND FRONTLINE GROUPS
THAT BAN THE DISTRIBUTION AND SALE OF EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE (EPS) foam
products, close state plastic bag ban loopholes within the city, and
require city departments to implement zero-waste practices at city
facilities and events. Additionally, SAN DIEGO APPROVED AN ORDINANCE
BANNING EPS FOAM PRODUCTS. On December 2, LA City Council also made a
historic unanimous decision [16] to BAN ALL NEW OIL AND GAS DRILLING, and
to stop activities related to fossil fuel extraction at all of the city’s
existing well operations within the next two decades. Read more. [8]

★ UN GLOBAL PLASTICS TREATY NEGOTIATIONS (INC-1) IN URUGUAY
Earlier this year, the United Nations (UN) agreed on a mandate to negotiate
a legally binding treaty addressing the eternal toxic existence of plastics
[17]. This month, the FIRST OF FIVE PLANNED SESSIONS TO FORMULATE THAT
TREATY BEGAN, WITH THE FIRST MEETING OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING
COMMITTEE (INC-1) in Punta Del Este, Uruguay. Representatives from UN
Environment Assembly governments, the private sector, and civil
society—INCLUDING PPC MEMBERS AND PARTNERS FROM THE BREAK FREE FROM
PLASTIC [18] GLOBAL MOVEMENt—attended the meeting. Read more. [9]

RECENT WEBINARS & INTERVIEWS

[November – Plastic-Free Presents: Mindful Gifting for Healthier
Holidays] [19]

★ NOVEMBER – PLASTIC-FREE PRESENTS: MINDFUL GIFTING FOR HEALTHIER
HOLIDAYS
Every holiday season, millions of people face the challenge of finding
thoughtful gifts for the ones they love. Unfortunately, CULTURAL NORMS
AROUND HOLIDAY GIFT-GIVING OFTEN CREATE AN OCEAN OF WASTE IN THEIR
WAKE—in packaging, wrapping, and in the many gifted items that are used a
limited number of times before breaking or being discarded. Fortunately,
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO CELEBRATE, AND BY FORGING NEW TRADITIONS WE
CAN GIFT MINDFULLY FOR HEALTHIER, LOWER WASTE HOLIDAYS. On November 17, we
were joined by ALEJANDRA WARREN, CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
PLASTIC FREE FUTURE, and DR. MANASA MANTRAVADI, PEDIATRICIAN, FOUNDER/CEO
OF AHIMSA, for a special holiday webinar moderated by PPC Co-Founder & CEO
Dianna Cohen. Watch here [19].

★ PLASTIC “TOX” EPISODE 7: A POISON LIKE NO OTHER: MICROPLASTICS Q&A
WITH MATT SIMON
During our October 27 webinar, we discussed with author Matt Simon his new
book _A POISON LIKE NO OTHER: HOW MICROPLASTICS CORRUPTED OUR PLANET AND
OUR BODIES_ [20], and the harmful impact microplastics have on our
environment, wildlife, and people. We received a record number of questions
from our attendees and did not have time to answer them all live, so WE
ASKED MATT TO SIT DOWN WITH US AGAIN A FEW WEEKS LATER TO ADDRESS ALL OF
THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM THAT WEBINAR. Matt was interviewed by PPC
Communications Manager Erica Cirino. Listen here [21].

★ PLASTIC “TOX” EPISODE 8: PLASTIC-FREE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS WITH
RANAE HANSON
Ranae Lenor Hanson is an author, activist, and educator. In 2021, she wrote
_WATERSHED: ATTENDING TO BODY AND EARTH IN DISTRESS_ [22], in part to honor
her students’ requests that she share their climate-refugee stories with
audiences she could reach more quickly than they could. Ranae spoke with
PPC Project Coordinator Amelia Hanson, her daughter, about HOW THEIR FAMILY
HAS MAINTAINED A PLASTIC-FREE AND ZERO-WASTE SET OF HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
DESPITE YEARLY INCREASES IN PLASTIC PRODUCTION and a massive amount of
plastic involved in the average American holiday celebration. Listen here
[23].

SPECIAL OFFERS & OPPORTUNITIES

[Plastic Pollution Coalition’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide] [24]

★ PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION’S 2022 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Plastic Pollution Coalition’s 2022 PLASTIC-FREE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
features a wide range of eco-friendly products from PPC Business Members
committed to stopping plastic pollution. ENJOY DISCOUNT CODES UP TO 30%
THROUGH DECEMBER 31 and support plastic-free giving. Access the guide [24].

★ TRACK YOUR SPENDING & SHOP SUSTAINABLY WITH KARMA WALLET
PPC Business Member Karma Wallet [25] has created a data-driven personal
finance tool that allows you to compare retailers based on environmental
impact before you shop. They gather data from more than 30 trusted sources
to evaluate thousands of retailers on their social and environmental
performance. Find retailers that list PPC as a value and choose
plastic-free alternatives this holiday season! AS PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP
WITH THEM, PPC MEMBERS CAN CREATE FREE ACCOUNTS—making it easy to support
our people- and planet-focused PPC Business Members. Create your free
account here [26].

★ White House Council on Environmental Quality Invites the Public to
Submit Expressions of Interest in Serving as Members of the WHEJA
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) invites the public
to submit expressions of interest in serving as members of a special
environmental justice committee, the White House Environmental Justice
Advisory Council (WHEJAC), to fill approximately fifteen (15) new vacancies
for a two-year term. The WHEJAC is composed of a diverse group of experts
and representatives from across a broad range of backgrounds with knowledge
or experience in environmental justice, climate change, public health,
disaster preparedness, racial inequity, and other related areas. SUBMITTALS
MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 11:59 P.M. EST ON JANUARY 17, 2023. Submit
your expression of interest here [27].

TAKE ACTION

[Tell Amazon: Stop Polluting our Planet with Plastic Packaging] [28]

★ Tell Amazon: Stop Polluting our Planet with Plastic Packaging
A NEW REPORT BY OCEANA [13] reveals that in 2021, Amazon generated 709
million pounds of plastic packaging waste—an 18% increase from the
previous year’s estimate, with up to 26 million pounds of this plastic
waste entering the world’s waterways and seas. FIND OUT MORE AND SIGN THE
PETITION [28] TO TELL AMAZON TO STOP POLLUTING OUR PLANET WITH PLASTIC
PACKAGING.

★ Tell EPA: Don’t Replace Lead Pipes with Plastic Pollution
The U.S. Federal government has approved $15 billion to replace toxic lead
services lines bringing water into the homes of 22 million people in the
U.S. SIGN THE PETITION [29] to ensure this funding goes to safe,
non-plastic solutions that put community health and safety first.

★ TELL EPA TO TAKE ACTION TO STUDY THE IMPACTS OF PVA/PVOH
In November, PPC and other nonprofit groups joined cleaning products
company Blueland TO PETITION THE U.S. EPA to URGENTLY STUDY AND REGULATE A
TYPE OF PLASTIC CALLED POLYVINYL ALCOHOL [30] (which is also referred to as
“PVA” or “PVOH”). Since little is still known about the effects of
PVA, even after decades of use, WE ARE CALLING ON THE EPA TO THOROUGHLY
STUDY THE IMPACTS THESE PLASTICS HAVE ON OUR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
SIGN THE PETITION [31].

UPCOMING EVENT

[January Webinar – Washed Up: The Invisible Threat of Plastic
Microfibers] [32]

★ JANUARY WEBINAR – WASHED UP: THE INVISIBLE THREAT OF PLASTIC
MICROFIBERS
Over 60% OF CLOTHING SOLD WORLDWIDE CONTAINS PLASTIC—in the forms of
polyester, acrylic, nylon, spandex, and more. Through regular washing and
wearing, synthetic clothing sheds tiny plastic particles called
“microfibers.” A SINGLE LOAD OF LAUNDRY CAN RELEASE OVER 9 MILLION
MICROFIBERS INTO OUR WATERWAYS. On January 12, 2023, we will explore how
the ubiquitous nature of synthetic textiles is CAUSING A MASSIVE AND
LARGELY INVISIBLE PLASTIC POLLUTION PROBLEM. We will be joined by MELI
HINOSTROZA, Co-Founder, Aya Eco Fashion & Arms of Andes; DR. ANDREJ KRŽAN,
Chief Scientist, PlanetCare; and DR. JUDITH WEIS, Professor Emerita of
Biological Sciences at Rutgers University. The conversation will be
moderated by MADELEINE MACGILLIVRAY, Climate and Plastics Campaign
Coordinator, Seeding Sovereignty. Sign up here [32].

➤ FIND MORE UPCOMING EVENTS [33] ON OUR WEBSITE & SUBMIT AN EVENT. [34]

YOUR DONATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

DONATE [35]

#PLASTICPOLLUTES

[Facebook] [36] [Instagram] [37] [Twitter] [38] [Youtube] [39]

Plastic Pollution Coalition is a non-profit communications and advocacy
organization that collaborates with an expansive global alliance of
organizations, businesses, and individuals to create a more just,
equitable, regenerative world free of plastic pollution and its toxic
impacts. 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 [40] | UNSUBSCRIBE [41]

Copyright © 2022 Plastic Pollution Coalition



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