We can all pat ourselves on the back for recycling. But the issues with plastic go beyond the blue bin. This month Emma writes about the problems that plastic waste poses and how we can be part of the solution.
We produce 900 Empire State Buildings’ worth of plastic waste every year. Do ocean cleanups and recycling efforts help prevent it from becoming pollution?
The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021 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. The federal bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (CA), represents the most comprehensive set of policy solutions to the plastic pollution crisis ever introduced in Congress.
Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act by writing a letter to your representative at the link below.
TrashBlitz is an initiative of the 5 Gyres Institute — an organization working to address plastic pollution. The organization collects extensive data about waste in the US to create better policies to address plastic pollution. The TrashBlitz mobile app is a platform for anyone in the US to track their own waste and contribute meaningful data that will ultimately help in the fight against plastic pollution.
Explore the TrashBlitz program and download the app to track your own waste at home and contribute to ending plastic pollution.
Litterati is on a mission to eradicate litter in a grassroots way. Their app allows you to identify plastic waste and use that information to dispose of it accurately. All you have to do is take a picture of any plastic waste using the app when you’re outside. Then, the app will automatically geo-tag the image and their LitterAI tool will recommend tags for what kind of litter it is. The app also includes local and global challenges to further encourage action.
Download the Litterati app to properly dispose of plastic waste for a greener community.
It was the first college football game I’ve been to where I was allowed to bring water inside with me (one factory-sealed water bottle). Temperatures were above 100 degrees, and before I started to develop a headache, it all got me thinking.
Your morning coffee might be hurting the environment. When we talk about coffee and sustainability, we often focus on the farming practices of coffee growers. But just as important is the waste that’s produced at the point of consumption. Single-use plastic and other trash created from your morning caffeine kick adds up. That’s where
The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (BFFPPA) could radically transform how we manage plastic waste. But what all does this bill actually include?
We produce 900 Empire State Buildings’ worth of plastic waste every year. Do ocean cleanups and recycling efforts help prevent it from becoming pollution?
To kick off our August Impactfull series on plastic waste, Emma Fagan sits down with Jennifer Congdon, the Deputy Director of Beyond Plastics, to discuss the scope and scale of our plastic pollution problem—including politics, climate change, corporate responsibility, and environmental justice. Read our first article on plastic waste here: What’s the Problem with
About two years ago, I joined my first anti-plastic march in the streets of Indonesia’s capital city, Jakarta. The march was especially important because it was led by the Indonesian Minister of Maritime of Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti. In front of the marching crowd stood the face of the protest: a gigantic four-meter tall angler
In 2020, National Geographic predicted that 99 million tons of uncontrolled plastic waste will remain in the environment by 2030. On a global scale, countries are still struggling to manage this waste as more than half of it is merely discarded in the environment. Plastic waste can linger in our environment for centuries, pollute
In 2017, China stopped accepting waste imports from the United States. Combing with the misinformation presented by petrolium companies, this has heavily impacted our recycling habits and patterns.
Over the last few days, I discussed how manufacturing, due to its high levels of Co2 emission, is a threat to climate change and how the need for innovative approaches to material production is increasingly necessary. If you haven’t had the chance to listen this week’s Handful series, I’ve included a little bit about
