We’re very excited to share that Plastic Pollution Coalition has partnered with Tomfoolery, a UK-based poet and filmmaker, on a new project called “The Plastic Age.” Through powerful storytelling, Tomfoolery shows that although the last century was marked by an explosion in plastic production and use, we may be living in the beginning of the end of the plastic age. Please watch and share the video.

Next week, I’ll be representing Plastic Pollution Coalition in Paris, France, where the United Nations will convene the second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2), to continue working toward a Global Plastics Treaty. Plastic Pollution Coalition was founded 14 years ago with a simple mission: to get people to call “plastic pollution” what it is. Now, governments around the world are coming together to create an international policy specifically for “plastic pollution.” It’s amazing how far we’ve come, but there is still much work to do. Right now we need your help to tell the U.S. Government to take a stronger stance on the Global Plastics Treaty. If you’re not in the U.S., you can help by signing this petition to all world leaders calling for a bold, binding global treaty to end plastic pollution.

It’s not only governments who are taking action on plastic pollution. This month, we launched our first Coalition Member Spotlight, to highlight Plastic Pollution Coalition members and the amazing work they’re doing to create a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts. For our first edition, we’re excited to spotlight Bioneers, Cafeteria Culture, EcoPlum, and Sway. Each month, we’ll showcase more of the amazing businesses, individuals, and organizations who make our coalition and movement so unique and influential.

I’m so proud of our team and all we are doing, and it wouldn’t be possible without your collective efforts. Thank you.

Onward,

Jen Fela
Vice President, Programs & Communications
Plastic Pollution Coalition

P.S. Please consider making a donation to support our work. It is more critical now than ever.

★ Tomfoolery & Plastic Pollution Coalition Launch “The Plastic Age”
In this exciting new video collaboration, UK-based visual poet Tomfoolery uses his creative and unique spoken-word poetry and filmmaking talents to explore the history of the plastic pollution crisis—from humankind initially harvesting crude oil to the invention and overuse of plastics. In “The Plastic Age,” we learn that while plastics may have brought us unparalleled convenience, they have come at an unsustainable cost. By laying out the facts and solutions of plastic pollution, “The Plastic Age” encourages us to move beyond wastefulness and consumerism to a healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable future for all. Watch and share.

★ Plastic Pollution: Could We Have Solved the Problem Nearly 50 Years Ago?
In an article published in The Revelator on March 26, 2019, Erica Cirino, now the Communications Manager at Plastic Pollution Coalition, sheds light on the concerns that scientists had been raising regarding the increasing amount of plastic pollution in the ocean and its detrimental impact on human health. Surprisingly, these concerns had been raised as far back as the early 1970s. Much of what we know about plastic today was already known half a century ago. So, how did we end up with the overwhelming volume of plastic pollution in our oceans, waterways, landfills, and bodies that we can see today? Read more.

★ Plastic Industry Greenwashing: Your Questions, Answered
During our April 2023 webinar, “Greenwashing: Debunking the Plastic Industry’s False Narrative,” we received so many excellent questions from our engaged audience that we created an additional resource to provide deeper insights into the world of plastic industry greenwashing and educate our community about how to effectively avoid and address it. The April webinar featured George Harding-Rolls, Campaign Manager at Changing Markets Foundation; Sumona Majumdar, Executive Director of Earth Island Institute; and Emma Priestland, Global Corporate Campaigns Coordinator at Break Free From Plastic in a conversation moderated by Shilpi Chhotray, Co-Founder & Executive Director of People Over Plastic. Watch the recording.

★ June 22 Webinar – Plastic-Free Seas: Diving Into How Plastic Impacts Health, Climate, and Our Oceans
Healthy oceans provide vast cognitive, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual wellness Blue Mind benefits to all of us throughout our lives. On June 22, we will dive deep into the challenges that plastic pollution poses to our oceans and our bodies, how polluted waters disrupt the benefits we gain from access to healthy oceans and waterways, and how we may restore our planet as well as our own physical and mental well-being. Joining the conversation will be “Her Deepness,” Sylvia Earle, President & Co-Chair of Mission Blue and National Geographic Explorer in Residence; Wallace J Nichols, Marine Biologist & Author of Blue Mind; and Imari Walker-Franklin, PhD, Research Chemist at RTI International & Author of Plastics. The panel will be moderated by Plastic Pollution Coalition CEO & Co-Founder Dianna Cohen. Sign up.

★ The Sun Valley Forum
The Sun Valley Forum: The Multiplier Effect: Partnering to Accelerate Climate Solutions, will take place June 20–23. This year marks the eighth Forum, and the program includes keynote addresses and panel discussions as well as collaborative working sessions, convening approximately 250 global leaders and innovators across investment, policy, business, advocacy, adventure, entertainment, and academia. Plastic Pollution Coalition Executive Advisory Board Member Dr. Michael K. Dorsey and Co-Founder and CEO Dianna Cohen will be speaking about the connections between Climate Change, Petrochemicals, and Plastic Pollution and Solutions. Learn more and register.

★ Hollywood Climate Summit
Plastic Pollution Coalition is proud to partner with and sponsor the 2023 Hollywood Climate Summit—an annual in-person and online international conference that creates a community space for thousands of cross-sector entertainment and media professionals to take action on climate. Join filmmakers, artists, writers, executives, social media creators, climate activists, scientists, policymakers, and other experts for interactive workshops and community building events that drive a cultural shift in the creative industry towards collective climate action. The summit takes place in Los Angeles, CA, June 21–24, and digital conference access is free. Register here.

★ Opening Reception for Garage Exchange Vienna—Los Angeles: Plastic, Plastic, Plastic
The MAK Center for Art and Architecture is pleased to present the 21st iteration of Garage Exchange Vienna—a live art event taking place on Thursday, June 8, 2023. This event, titled Los Angeles: Plastic, Plastic, Plastic will feature Vienna-based artist Kerstin von Gabain and Los Angeles-based artist Ellen Schafer at the Mackey Apartments Garage Top Gallery. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity where art and activism collide. Von Gabain and Schafer use their art to confront the proliferation of mass-produced materials, and the overabundance of plastic—in our homes, in our oceans, in our bodies. The event takes place Thursday, June 8, 2023, 6:30–8:30pm. Find out more.

➤ Find more Events on our website.

★ Plastic Pollution Coalition Member Spotlight: Bioneers, Cafeteria Culture, EcoPlum, & Sway
Plastic Pollution Coalition is proud to represent a unique coalition of businesses and organizations that are addressing the plastic pollution crisis head on. From a wide range of industries and focuses, our Coalition Members are aligned in their mission to build a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on communities and ecosystems around the world. To uplift and showcase their work, we are launching a monthly Coalition Member Spotlight blog, giving our readers an inside look at some of these influential change-makers. Our first edition features Bioneers, Cafeteria Culture, EcoPlum, and Sway. Read more.

★ Join the Coalition
Not yet a member of Plastic Pollution Coalition? You can apply as an individual, organization, or business. Apply here.

★ ACTION ALERT: New Yorkers, Help Pass Legislation to Curb Plastic Pollution
New York State Residents: Your help is urgently needed! When most of us buy products at a store or online, they have no control over the amount of packaging that those products come in. Right now, New Yorkers have a chance to help change that in their state. Our friends at Beyond Plastics are asking folks who reside in New York to take action on two important bills that would together reduce plastic packaging pollution and keep billions of recyclable cans and bottles out of our environment and landfills. Time is running out to pass these bills as the legislative session ends on June 8, 2023. We need you to call your State Senator and Assemblymember today. Learn more. 

★ Tell the U.S. Government: Take a Stronger Stance on the Global Plastics Treaty
Plastic production, transportation, use, and disposal threaten Earth’s communities, air, water, biodiversity, and soils. With the UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations now underway, the U.S. government (USG) has the unique opportunity to play a key role in the change we need on a worldwide level: instead of leading the world in generating the plastic pollution crisis, it's time for the USG to lead by forging ambitious solutions. Sign on to tell the USG to take a stronger stance on the Global Plastics Treaty. Sign the petition. Outside the U.S.? Sign the petition calling on world leaders to create a bold, binding treaty to end plastic pollution. 

★ Ban Plastic From School Lunchrooms & Protect Children's Health
Studies show that plastic in the food system can lead to harmful chemicals leaching into the foods our children eat. Today, there are more than 10,000 additives approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to serve, preserve, package, or modify the taste, look, texture, or nutrients in foods. However, a recent review of nearly 4,000 food additives showed that 64% of them had had no research showing they were safe for people to eat or drink. Sign the petition led by PPC Business Member AHIMSA to tell the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to avoid using these materials in its school lunch program. 

★ 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. Lead pipes should be replaced with non-toxic materials, not plastics like PVC. Plastic pipe materials can similarly leach toxic chemicals and microplastics that accumulate in the environment and in our bodies. Sign the petition to ensure this funding goes to safe, non-plastic solutions that put community health and safety first.

➤ Find more Petitions on our website.

★ 2023 Environmental Media Awards Call For Submissions
The Environmental Media Awards (EMA) honor film and television productions that increase public awareness of environmental issues and inspire personal action on these issues. To be eligible, narrative and documentary feature films must have sold distribution rights and have been released either theatrically or at an accredited film festival, direct-to-video, or video on demand (streaming or transactional) between August 31, 2022, and September 1, 2023. In addition, television productions in all categories must have first aired between August 31, 2022, and September 1, 2023, on a national network, cable, public television, first-run syndication, or streaming channel. The deadline to submit is August 14, 2023. Find application information here.

★ The Roddenberry Fellowship Application is Now Accepting Submissions
The Roddenberry Fellowship is for US-based activists, leaders, and disruptors who are responding with urgency and creativity to structural inequities and an enduring climate of increased enmity and blame. It is a 12-month program that provides leaders with a $50,000 grant and access to an exceptional community of peers driving real change for communities throughout the U.S. The application for the Roddenberry Fellowship is open until June 16, 2023. Learn more.

★ Google Extends an Open Invitation to Help Reduce Plastic Waste
The world’s plastic pollution problem is a large and complex challenge—more than 91% of plastic isn’t recycled and instead is accumulating in landfills, the environment, and communities. So, to help further reduce the plastic footprint of food services and shine a light on emerging solutions, Google is launching its Single-Use Plastics Challenge. If you’re a food and beverage company with single-use, plastic-free packaging solutions, Google invites you to apply to the Challenge. Check out the video invitation and apply here. Applications close May 30, 2023.

★ Explore Sustainable Brands on Karma Wallet
Karma Wallet makes it easy for you to find companies taking meaningful action for the planet. Their free platform lets you view and compare over 14,000+ company sustainability ratings, analyze the impact of your shopping decisions with your personal Karma Score, and earn cashback for sustainable shopping. Create your free account and start browsing Plastic Pollution Coalition members at Karma Wallet.

★ Emerging Leaders Fund
The Claneil Foundation created The Emerging Leaders Fund to support the critical role that executive directors play in launching and growing early-stage organizations. The Foundation awards a four-year unrestricted general operating grant totaling $300,000 to each recipient’s organization along with access to a support network of peers. Recipients are selected based on their creative vision, leadership capacity, potential for impact, and commitment to innovation and learning in one or more of the following issue areas: education, hunger and nutrition/food system, health and human services, and environment. Please note that the Claneil Foundation does not accept self-nominations. Nominations are due by September 15, 2023.

★ Explore Plastic Pollution Coalition’s Resource Library
A wealth of resources are 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 to make a bigger impact, Plastic Pollution Coalition's resource library is a great place to start. Learn more.

★ Plastic Pollution Coalition Is Hiring!
We are currently searching for a Fundraising Manager (Full-Time) and a Technology Coordinator (Part-Time). We encourage you to review the job descriptions and share with your networks. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.