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Greeners Action of Hong Kong led the campaign on “Umbrella Bags Reduction Certification Program”. It is an initiative that encourages shopping malls to reduce the use of one off umbrella plastic bags during rainy season. So far, shopping malls have implemented measures like installing umbrella dryers, setting up umbrella racks and umbrella plastic bag recycle and reusable bin!

The Failing Incinerators Project is aimed at supporting grassroots communities organizing to shutdown polluting, aging incinerators and develop viable alternatives that benefit public health and the environment. Across the United states, all but one of the 77 waste incinerators are reaching the end of their lifespans, and have plagued communities for decades with harmful air emissions, accidents, other health and safety-related concerns. Through targeted financial, research, communications, technical and coordinative support GAIA is aiding local community groups, in cities such as Baltimore, Detroit, and Long Beach, in fighting their polluting incinerator infrastructure, and strengthening a national case to end incineration and invest in zero waste systems. The project is exposing the dangers of pollution from waste burning and highlighting zero waste as an alternative at a regional and national level. Trash-burning is a thing of the past– the future is #breakfreefromplastic!

Coming Soon …

It is time to break our addiction to disposables. The key to success in bringing reusables back to dining is to make it convenient for consumers. That is why UPSTREAM is working to design a community-wide reusable cup and container program. UPSTREAM is working to demonstrate these programs in conjuction with needed policy changes in communites around the San Francisco Bay.

Trash-Free Dining

The Ecology Center convened a group of waste experts to craft model legislation – the Disposable-Free Dining Ordinance – that the Berkeley City Council is now considering. We are also piloting a reuse take-out program in the Telegraph Business District in early 2019, and piloting a GPS tracker project that is tracking the movement of Bay Area plastics baled for recycling. 

Greenpeace is demanding that corporations and retailers take responsibility for the plastic pollution crisis they helped create and phase out destructive single-use plastics and packaging. Almost 2 million people worldwide have signed Greenpeace petitions to retailers and CEOs of seven of the largest producers of single-use plastics (Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, McDonald’s) telling them to reduce their single-use plastic production.

In addition, Greenpeace supporters are taking action to create a “Million Acts of Blue” — actions to push retailers, corporations and businesses to reduce single-use plastic. The Million Acts of Blue toolkit has been translated into five languages so far and includes the Break Free From Plastic brand audit as one of seven actions people can take to send a message to the industry that it’s time to change—we can no longer allow products that are used for a few seconds to pollute our planet for a lifetime.

Greenpeace is also asking supporters to call out companies on social media by tagging the brands responsible for plastic pollution by posting photos of (1) branded plastic waste found in nature (tag the brand and using the hashtag #IsThisYours) and (2) excess plastic packaging at retailers (tag the brand and use the hashtags #PointlessPlastic, #RidiculousPackaging, and/or #BreakFreeFromPlastic).

The purpose of the campaign is to provide opportunities for communities to learn about the impacts that plastic straws are having on the environment and to take action to reduce and ultimately eliminate their use. The difference between this straw campaign and others is that it is tailored to each participating city, county, or state. Each location receives customized campaign materials, and the original Boulder Committee provides leadership for all other committees and campaign activities regionally and nationally. Committees approach local establishments and encourage them to sign the Suck the Straws Out Pledge.

In 2019 The Story of Stuff Project will release its first feature-length documentary, “The Story of Plastic.” The film will tell the story of the industry plot to trash the planet for profit, and the global movement rising up to stop it. We’re busting Big Plastic’s myths and drawing back the curtain on the true cost of plastic pollution at every stage, from production to disposal. Featuring interviews with frontline heroes from Texas to Tagaytay, we’re setting out to reveal a system that is poisoning communities around the globe – and the vibrant movement working to build a world free from plastic pollution.

Most of us wear synthetic fabrics like polyester every day. Our dress shirts, yoga pants, fleeces, and even underwear are all increasingly made of synthetic materials — plastic, in fact. But these synthetic fabrics, from which 60% of all clothing on earth is made, have a big hidden problem: when they’re washed, they release tiny plastic bits — called microfibers — that flow down our drains, through water treatment plants, and out into our rivers, lakes and oceans by the billions. In 2017, The Story of Stuff Project called attention to this hidden form of plastic pollution with the release of “The Story of Microfibers.” Now, we’re continuing the push to raise awareness and hold clothing manufacturers accountable for the waste their products create.

Watch it Here!

TCE uses grassroots advocacy to stop plastic pollution along the entire lifecycle of plastic, from extraction to consumer use to disposal. In 2005 we were the first environmental group in Texas to demand full diversion of reusable material from landfills and successfully advocate for a Zero Waste plan in Austin. Since then we’ve made sure local governments continue to adopt Zero Waste policies and programs in four major cities and several local municipalities, including curbside recycling pickup at homes, apartments, businesses and public spaces, as well as local ordinances to restrict the use of single-use plastic bags. In June 2018, these bag ordinances were stuck down statewide by a Texas Supreme Court decision, which we are now working to reverse through legislative action.

We’ve also worked to limit the extraction of fossil fuels by helping the small North Texas town of Denton pass an ordinance to ban fracking (which has since been revoked) and our newest efforts to curb pollution from an ethane cracking facility proposed on Texas’s Gulf Coast. Visit Texas Campaign for the Environment to learn more!

Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Restaurants program works with the restaurant community to recognize and promote ocean-friendly practices for the protection of our ocean, coasts and planet. One restaurant, one customer at a time, increases awareness, drives change in behavior and ultimately creates scalable impact to reduce our plastic and water footprint. Support Surfrider Foundation!

Surfrider’s Rise Above Plastics program is designed to eliminate the impacts of plastics in the marine environment by raising awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and by advocating for a reduction of single-use plastics and the recycling of all plastics. Support Surfrider Foundation!

In 2011, Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund launched ReThink Disposable— an award winning and results driven program that works in partnership with municipal stormwater and zero waste agencies to engage food businesses, institutions (academic and corporate campuses), and consumers to minimize disposable take-out food and beverage packaging at the source. The program creates win-win opportunities for businesses and the environment by identifying money saving practices to reduce single-use food and beverage packaging. Auditors work with participating businesses and institutions to implement ReThink Disposable’s Best Management Practices (BMPs) for source reduction. All disposable packaging targeted for reduction is tracked and measured through an audit process and program impacts, such as the number and percent of disposable packaging eliminated, waste prevention, greenhouse gas reductions, payback period and cost savings are calculated. To date, the program has engaged 125 small, locally owned and operated food businesses around the San Francisco Bay Area and five institutions in reducing disposable products usage by over 15 million items and preventing over 125 tons of waste each year.  ReThink Disposable won the 2015 Governor’s Economic and Environmental Leadership Award (CA) and the 2016 California Resource Recovery Association’s Outstanding Waste Prevention Award.  Several businesses participants have received awards and recognition from local government agencies, mayors, and city councils. ReThink Disposable will see a burst of program growth in the San Francisco Bay Area in the coming 2018-2020 years with funding in place for 200 new certified food businesses and institutions. We are expanding into Southern California and Clean Water Action offices in New Jersey and Rhode Island. To learn more about the program, please visit www.rethinkdisposable.org. Support Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund!

Polysytrene products are everywhere, from coffee cup lids to straws, cutlery and cups (even SOLO cups). Expanded polystyrene foam—commonly known as “Styrofoam”—is basically polystyrene that’s expanded with air. You can identify polystyrene and expanded polystyrene foam by the number “6” on the bottom of a product. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans use 25 billion expanded polystyrene coffee cups each year—and many of their lids are polystyrene, too. When you Nix the 6, you pledge to refuse these single-use plastics.

Pledge to refuse single use plastics and get rid of #sneakystyrene!

Lonely Whale’s For A Strawless Ocean serves as a roadmap for any individual, community or organization to spearhead a plastic straw-free movement. In the US alone an estimated 500 million single-use plastic straws are used daily and are one of the top 10 plastic items found in global beach cleanups year after year. In addition to guidelines and best practices, For A Strawless Ocean provides an open-source brand identity, campaigning guidebook, an Artificial Intelligence-powered chatbot, free customizable marketing and venue materials, staff training materials, and resources for discounts on Lonely Whale-vetted alternative straws.

Take Action for a Strawless Ocean

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