Filtered Not Bottled, Flip the Script on Plastics, & Plastic-Free Pet Care
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[1]

JANUARY 2023

[Plastic Pollution Solutions] [2]

Dear John,

With the first month of 2023 already behind us, it’s clear THIS YEAR IS
SHAPING UP TO BE A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT ONE FOR OUR MOVEMENT AND THE
PLANET. Building off the exponential growth in plastic policy action in
2022, we expect to see even more local, state, federal, and international
governing bodies taking steps to reduce and eliminate plastic pollution at
its source. And historically, this May, the United Nations
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee [3] will head to Paris for
INC-2—the committee’s second meeting to negotiate AN INTERNATIONAL
LEGALLY BINDING INSTRUMENT [4] ON PLASTIC POLLUTION THAT WILL ADDRESS THE
FULL LIFE CYCLE OF PLASTICS, from production to disposal.

This year, AT PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION WE ARE RAMPING UP OUR CAMPAIGNS
TO END PLASTIC POLLUTION AND IMPLEMENT REAL SOLUTIONS [2]. This includes
our advocacy of FILTERED NOT BOTTLED [5] water distribution during U.S.
lead pipe replacement projects, providing a pathway to equitable and
nontoxic solutions for lead-impacted communities, providing resources to
federal and local elected officials, and building public awareness about
the hazardous pollution and injustice plastic causes. Additionally, our
FLIP THE SCRIPT ON PLASTICS [6] initiative continues to gain momentum; we
just launched a campaign celebrating the Oscars’ 95th anniversary,
featuring winners and nominees that pass THE BEGLEY-COHEN TEST
[7]—meaning no single-use plastic is shown on screen, or it is portrayed
as problematic.

We continue to EDUCATE, CONNECT, and ADVOCATE for a more just, equitable
world free of plastic pollution, and ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET INVOLVED [8]! On
February, 16, 2023, join us for a special webinar: PLASTIC-FREE PET CARE:
SAFEGUARDING THE HEALTH OF OUR FURRY FRIENDS. [9]We have invited experts to
discuss the health hazards linked to plastic in pet care products, tips for
finding plastic-free alternatives, and how we can all reduce the plastic
footprint of caring for our animal friends.

Onward together!

[Julia Cohen]

Julia Cohen, MPH
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Plastic Pollution Coalition

P.S. We are ramping up our operations in 2023 and need your support. Please
consider making a charitable donation [10] to help us continue our work,
and share our job openings [11]. Your support is the driving force behind
our every win!

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

[Plastic Pollution Experts Judith Enck and Pete Myers Testify at U.S.
Senate Hearing on Capitol Hill] [12]

★ PLASTIC POLLUTION EXPERTS JUDITH ENCK AND PETE MYERS TESTIFY AT U.S.
SENATE HEARING ON CAPITOL HILL
JUDITH ENCK, President of Beyond Plastics [13] and former EPA Regional
Administrator; and DR. PETE MYERS, Founder, CEO, and Chief Scientist of
Environmental Health Sciences [14], testified in December 2022 before the
U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works’ Subcommittee
on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory
Oversight. Both are scientific experts on plastic, as well asPlastic
Pollution Coalition Advisors. This is the first time such a hearing has
been convened to discuss the plastic pollution crisis. Read more [12].

★ MY EUROPEAN ADVENTURE: FINDING PLASTIC POLLUTION SOLUTIONS IN FRANCE &
SWITZERLAND
Discover the innovative ways Switzerland and France are reducing single-use
plastics through the eyes of 11-year-old PPC YOUTH AMBASSADOR KAREENA
DESAI, as she shares her experiences from her recent trip to Europe. In an
inspiring guest blog post, Kareena details how the simple practices she
observed in Lucerne, Switzerland, & Paris, France, which have been required
to cut plastic use under the European Union’s Single-Use Plastics
Directive, may be implemented in the United States as well. Read more [15].

★ MICROPLASTICS, NANOPLASTICS, AND YOU
You may have heard about MICROPLASTICS AND NANOPLASTICS in the news, on
social media [16], in your school or workplace, or in everyday
conversation. “Microplastics” have even been deemed a “2023
Buzzword” [17] by National Public Radio. PLASTIC IS ALL AROUND US…AND
INSIDE OF US. CHECK OUT OUR RECENT SCIENCE-BACKED BLOG TO LEARN WHAT YOU
NEED TO KNOW—AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOUR HEALTH. Read more [18].

★ JANUARY WEBINAR – WASHED UP: THE INVISIBLE THREAT OF PLASTIC
MICROFIBERS
In our first webinar of 2023, we explored how the ubiquitous nature of
synthetic textiles is CAUSING A MASSIVE AND LARGELY INVISIBLE PLASTIC
POLLUTION PROBLEM. We were joined by MELI HINOSTROZA, Co-Founder of Aya Eco
Fashion [19] & Arms of Andes [20]; DR. ANDREJ KRŽAN, Chief Scientist of
PlanetCare [21]; and DR. JUDITH WEIS, Professor Emerita of Biological
Sciences at Rutgers University. The conversation was moderated by MADELEINE
MACGILLIVRAY, Climate and Plastics Campaign Coordinator at Seeding
Sovereignty [22]. Watch here [23].

★ Watch Highlights from The Ocean X Climate Summit 2022
In November 2022, Plastic Pollution Coalition Youth Ambassadors [24] and
Allies gathered in Egypt — as industry-dominated COP27 was also being
held there — to discuss how protecting the ocean can help us mitigate the
mounting impacts of the climate crisis. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCESS
RESOURCES HERE [25].

TAKE ACTION

[Tell JPMorgan Chase: Defund Formosa Plastics] [26]

★ TELL JPMORGAN CHASE: DEFUND FORMOSA PLASTICS
While Formosa Plastics’ “Sunshine Project” has been paused as a
result of St. James’ residents’ activism [27], Formosa’s operations
elsewhere continue — despite numerous legal violations, from dumping
mercury-laced waste in Cambodia to poisoning fish in Vietnam to releasing
plastic pellets into the Texas Gulf. In addition to such egregious
pollution, the company’s dangerous plastics and petrochemical facilities
have rocked nearby communities with deadly explosions. TELL JPMORGAN CHASE
TO LIVE UP TO ITS “COMMITMENTS” TO HUMAN RIGHTS, RESPONSIBLE INVESTING,
AND RACIAL EQUITY BY DIVESTING ITS CURRENT SHARES IN FORMOSA PLASTICS—a
plastics producer with one of the worst environmental and human rights
track records in the world. SIGN THE PETITION [28].

★ TELL THE EPA TO HOLD CHEMOURS ACCOUNTABLE FOR PFAS DUMP INTO CAPE FEAR
RIVER
The CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (CEH) has released a NEW DOCUMENTARY
SHORT, “CAPE FEAR COURAGE,” [29] produced by the Emmy-winning
filmmakers at Peak Plastic Foundation. Cape Fear River serves as a source
of drinking water for nearly a half million people and several private
wells, but despite local activism and the CEH's formal petition to the EPA
on behalf of the community to force Chemours to pay for such health studies
on 54 different PFAS chemicals found in the environment, the petition was
denied. SIGN THE PETITION [30] asking EPA to use its authority under the
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to hold Chemours accountable for its
pollution, and to study critical testing on the health impacts of these
chemicals.

★ 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 [31] to ensure this funding goes to safe,
non-plastic solutions that put community health and safety first.

➤ Find more Petitions on our website [32].

UPCOMING EVENT

[February 16 Webinar – Plastic-Free Pet Care: Safeguarding the Health
of Our Furry Friends] [9]

★ FEBRUARY 16 WEBINAR – PLASTIC-FREE PET CARE: SAFEGUARDING THE HEALTH
OF OUR FURRY FRIENDS
During our February 16, 2023, webinar, we will discuss the HEALTH HAZARDS
OF PLASTICS USED IN PET CARE PRODUCTS. We’ll also provide TIPS AND TRICKS
FOR FINDING PLASTIC-FREE ALTERNATIVES and explore the impacts of PLASTIC
WASTE ON THE ENVIRONMENT and how we can REDUCE OUR PLASTIC FOOTPRINT AS WE
CARE FOR OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS. Whether you're a new pet owner or a seasoned
pro, THIS WEBINAR IS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LEARN more about how to
provide the best possible care for their furry, feathered, or scaly pals,
while also taking better care of our planet. Joining us will be DR. ARLENE
BLUM, Founder & Executive Director, Green Science Policy Institute [33];
DR. MARTY GOLDSTEIN, Author & Veterinarian,“Ask Martha’s Vet [34]”;
and TRACY ROSENSTEEL, Founder, Pooch Paper LLC [35]. The webinar will be
moderated by DIANNA COHEN, Co-Founder and CEO, Plastic Pollution Coalition.
SIGN UP. [9]

➤ FIND MORE UPCOMING EVENTS [36] ON OUR WEBSITE & SUBMIT AN EVENT. [37]

OPPORTUNITIES

[EPA Environmental Justice Grant Programs] [38]

★ EPA ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAMS
The U.S. EPA has announced $100 million in total funding for Environmental
Justice Grants, and we encourage our Members to take advantage of this
opportunity. We know such grants can be cumbersome for some smaller groups
given the substantial amount of paperwork involved, but there may be value
in looking into this opportunity for your organization or group of
organizations. *Application packages must be submitted on or before April
10, 2023 at 11:59 pm EST. Application information is here [38]. [38]

★ USAID Powered by the People (PxP) Grants Program
USAID has announced $45,000,000 in total funding over a five-year period to
increase support to activists, civic organizations, and movements using
collective action to make positive change. Similarly to the EPA grants
outlined above, this opportunity with the USAID may be time-consuming for
smaller groups. However, it may be worth your organization taking this
opportunity into consideration. *APPLICATION PACKAGES MUST BE SUBMITTED ON
OR BEFORE MARCH 1, 2023, AT 3:00 PM EST. APPLICATION INFORMATION CAN BE
FOUND HERE, UNDER “SEE RELATED DOCUMENTS.” [39]

★ BUSINESSES: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR FTC GREEN
GUIDES
The FTC is seeking public comments before it makes updates to its Guides
for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, or “Green Guides.” First
published in 1992 and designed to provide guidance to industries on
environmental marketing claims and how those claims may be interpreted and
substantiated, the Green Guides were revised in 1996, 1998, and 2012, and
have not been revised since—until now. This is an important opportunity
to prevent further greenwashing in marketing. WE ENCOURAGE OUR PPC BUSINESS
MEMBERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE FEEDBACK BEFORE THE
CURRENT DEADLINE OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2023 [40].

★ PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION IS HIRING!
We are currently searching for a Communications Coordinator [41] (Social
Media) (Part-Time) and a Development Manager [42] (Full-Time). We encourage
you to review the job descriptions and share with your networks. All
qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

★ BREAK FREE FROM PLASTIC US OPERATIONS ASSISTANT 2023
Our allies at Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) are seeking an experienced
candidate to provide administrative and operations support to the BFFP US
movement members and the BFFP US Coordination Team. The Assistant will also
provide budget and grant development support to enable BFFP US’s small
team to be able to facilitate and deliver the movement’s goals and
strategies. LEARN MORE [43].

★ Nominate Your Reuse Heroes for The Reusies 2023
UPSTREAM’S third-annual awards recognizing reuse heroes across North
America are open to nominations now through February 24, 2023. Be sure to
enter your choices for Upstream’s multiple awards that recognize impact
and innovation in business and community action. The Reusies [44] are to be
held on June 7, 2023, both in person at GreenBiz’s Circularity 23 [45] in
Seattle, Washington, and live-streamed around the world. NOMINATE YOUR
REUSE HEROES HERE. [46]

RESOURCES

[Resource Library] [47]

★ EXPLORE PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION’S RESOURCE LIBRARY
PPC has a wealth of resources available in our online library to help
educate and mobilize individuals to take action on plastic pollution. From
research and reports to educational materials, the library has something
for everyone. Whether you're an individual looking to reduce your own
plastic footprint or an organization looking for ways to make a bigger
impact, Plastic Pollution Coalition's resource library is a great place to
start. LEARN MORE [47].

YOUR DONATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

DONATE [48]

#PLASTICPOLLUTES

[Facebook] [49] [Instagram] [50] [Twitter] [51] [Youtube] [52]

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 [53] | UNSUBSCRIBE [54]

Copyright © 2023 Plastic Pollution Coalition



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