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Plastic pollution has become one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time. Faced with this crisis, hundreds of organizations around the world have decided to join forces to transform the production and consumption model that has brought the planet to a critical point.
This is the context in which Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) was born, a global movement that this year celebrates a decade of collective work promoting real solutions to plastic pollution. In Latin America, one of the organizations that has played a key role in this process is the Instituto Pólis, a Brazilian civil society organization with more than 30 years of experience working on urban, social, and environmental issues, and where BFFP took its first steps in the region.
Instituto Pólis: An organization with roots in the right to the city
Founded in 1987, Instituto Pólis emerged at a key moment in Brazilian history, during the process of constitutional reform. Since then, the organization has worked to promote the right to the city, coordinating research, political advocacy, and work with social movements.
“The Instituto Pólis was born in the midst of a process of renewal of the Brazilian Constitution, in connection with grassroots social movements to propose new urban policies,” explains Elisabeth Grimberg, sociologist and senior advisor at the Instituto Pólis, who has led the organization for the past 14 years.
During its 38-year history, the institute has brought together multidisciplinary teams of researchers who actively participate in the public debate on urban social issues. Its work is organized around three main areas: gender and structural racism; socio-territorial justice—related to the right to housing—; and socio-environmental justice.
Within the latter area, the institute's work focuses on waste, energy transition, and programs such as Zero Waste and Brazil Composts and Cultivates, which advise municipalities and recycling cooperatives on waste management and composting policies.
A historic player in the BFFP movement
The Instituto Pólis also has a special significance in the history of BFFP. The organization was one of the founders of the movement in Latin America and the Caribbean, and also participated in the movement's first activity in the region.
"In 2018, an opportunity arose to do a project with BFFP in the largest port in Latin America, in Santos, which is an hour from Sao Paulo. The idea was to create a project that would spark a larger movement against plastics, called Plastic-Free Ocean. It was incredible. We held a large meeting and prepared a special video with lots of information, which we posted on walls around the city, and invited 13 ocean activist organizations. The idea was for them to understand that it wasn't just about rescuing animals, cleaning beaches, or removing plastic from the sea, but that there was a bigger mission, which was to reduce plastic production and call on producers not to burn it,“ says Grimberg. ”If we keep cleaning without changing the system, this will never end. We had to go further: reduce plastic production and put pressure on those who produce it," he adds.
Since then, Pólis has actively contributed to strengthening the regional agenda against plastic pollution, promoting research, awareness campaigns, and political advocacy processes.
Research and evidence to transform policies
A fundamental part of the work of the Instituto Pólis has been to produce evidence that allows for a better understanding of the scale of the plastic pollution problem. One of the most relevant studies was carried out in landfills in São Paulo, where the composition of household waste was analyzed.
“We found that about 33% of the materials that arrived separated from homes were plastics that could not be recycled in practice, either because there was no market for them, they were contaminated, or because the technology was not available,” explains Grimberg.
In addition, the institute has developed brand audits using the BFFP methodology, a key tool for identifying the companies responsible for much of the plastic waste.
These initiatives have helped to bring the issue into the public debate and put greater pressure on companies and governments.
Brazil and the challenge of plastics in Latin America
Brazil plays a crucial role in the fight against plastic pollution in the region. According to Rafael Eudes, project advisor at the Instituto Pólis and representative of Brazil's Aliança Residuo Zero in the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, the country has a huge responsibility. “Brazil is the largest producer of plastic in Latin America. Everything we do here has an influence on our region,” he says.
In recent years, civil society organizations have driven important advances in public policy. These include the creation of a National Strategy for Plastic-Free Oceans, as well as new regulations to regulate plastic packaging and demand greater responsibility from companies.
“More than 15 organizations are working together to pressure the Brazilian government and make it understand the importance of having a national strategy and a firm position in international negotiations,” explains Eudes.
Towards a global treaty against plastic pollution
Currently, one of the main focuses of all the organizations that are part of BFFP is the negotiation of a global plastics treaty, an international agreement that seeks to establish measures to reduce plastic pollution worldwide. For organizations such as the Instituto Pólis, the treaty represents a historic opportunity to transform the current model. “In order to have an effective and robust treaty, Brazil must take a firm stance and act as a reference for the region,” says Eudes.
The challenge is enormous. “Plastic pollution not only affects the oceans, but also human health, ecosystems, and vulnerable communities, including Indigenous Peoples who depend on rivers and seas for their food,” explains Eudes.
The power of collective action
One of the most important lessons learned during these 10 years of BFFP has been the power of collaboration between organizations. For Grimberg, the strength of the movement lies precisely in its global dimension. “The possibility of a global struggle is very important. It allows us to say that we are not alone. We are hundreds of organizations in different countries and continents fighting for the same thing,” he says.
This collective work has made it possible to move from specific actions—such as beach cleanups—to more complex strategies that include public policy, research, brand audits, and international advocacy.
Looking to the future
Despite the progress made, the challenges remain great. The plastic industry lobby continues to be strong, and proposals such as waste incineration are often presented as solutions, despite their environmental and climate impacts.
In addition, there is a continuing need to highlight the relationship between plastic and the fossil fuel industry. “We need to show more clearly the connection between oil extraction, plastic production, and the impacts on the climate, health, and territories,” Grimberg warns.
However, both she and Eudes remain optimistic about the future. “We must return to an economy that does not depend on plastic and that uses reusable materials, as was the case before,” says Eudes. “I believe it is possible to build alternatives. When people start asking for solutions, it is because something is changing,” agrees Grimberg.
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About Instituto Pólis
Instituto Pólis is a non-profit civil organization that has been working since 1987 to promote and defend the right to the city. It has 38 years of experience and multidisciplinary teams of researchers who also actively participate in public debate on urban social issues. Its main objective is to build more just, democratic, sustainable, and inclusive cities based on three interconnected pillars: territorial justice, socio-environmental and climate justice, and racial, gender, and LGBTQIA+ justice. Its strategies include the production of technical studies, evidence-based political advocacy, training for social and government actors, the implementation of solutions, the strengthening of civil society networks, communication, and public engagement.
About BFFP
#BreakFreeFromPlastic is a global movement that envisions a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 2,700 organizations and 11,000 people around the world have joined the movement to demand a massive reduction in single-use plastics and promote lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. BFFP member organizations and individuals share the values of environmental protection and social justice, and work together through a holistic approach to achieve systemic change. This means addressing plastic pollution across the entire plastic value chain, from extraction to disposal, focusing on prevention rather than cure and providing effective solutions.
