Dear Friend,

As we close out Earth Month, we’re proud to present our latest report, MATERIAL SHIFT: A Primer on Regenerative Alternatives to Plastic. In the transition away from single-use plastics, nontoxic reuse and refill systems must serve as the foundation; however, in applications where such systems are not possible, we must choose biobased and regenerative materials from nature that do not cause lasting pollution. Our new report explores how to assess materials from a holistic, systems view and highlights some of the most promising regenerative materials to replace plastics—from feedstocks like agricultural residues, hemp and other bast fibers, mycelium, and seaweed.

This month the U.S. government announced plans to track and study microplastics. While the Trump Administration acknowledging the dangers of microplastics is positive, current scientific evidence and documented harms to human health—especially to people on the frontlines of fossil fuels, petrochemicals, and plastics—have already given policymakers sufficient information to act. To be truly effective, the Administration must include actions that curb plastic pollution at its source. On a related note, we’re campaigning to get toxic plastic packaging off our food; join us and send a letter to your Congress members.

While at San Francisco Climate Week, we co-hosted two events: the first was a screening of The Plastic Detox film with a live panel discussion presented by Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), Earth Island Institute (EII), Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), and Land And Sea For All, at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, California. If you missed our April webinar about the film, also in collaboration with the Oceanic Preservation Society, the recording is available here.

We also co-hosted a Biomaterial Innovation Panel & Happy Hour along with Amalgamated Bank on Earth Day, and heard from a variety of professionals working to build a plastic-free future with next-generation materials. And, we recently launched our first roundup of Business Member Wins.

Thank you for being part of our powerful community working together to create a more just, equitable and regenerative world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts, this Earth Month and always.

A special note: We are especially grateful to Buffalo Exchange for their $1 Earth Day sale, which generated lots of support to PPC!

Onward,

Aidan Maguire
Business Partnerships Manager
Plastic Pollution Coalition

P.S. Please support us—no amount is too small and all contributions help to fund our vital work.

★ New Report Shows How Regenerative Material Solutions Can Help End Plastic Pollution
Our new report, “MATERIAL SHIFT: A Primer on Regenerative Alternatives to Plastic,” explores how to assess materials from a holistic, systems view and highlights some of the most promising regenerative materials to replace plastics—from feedstocks like agricultural residues, hemp and other bast fibers, mycelium, and seaweed. It concludes with a link to a landing page of innovators using these biomass feedstocks to create and scale next-generation materials to replace plastic. Download the report.

★ Watch the April Webinar: The Plastic Detox: A Conversation About Plastic & Health
On Thursday, April 9, PPC, in collaboration with the Oceanic Preservation Society, hosted a webinar with the film’s director, Louie Psihoyos, environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D., and environmental justice leader Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr. Together, they discussed the latest science about plastics and human health, the far-reaching impacts of the plastic pollution crisis, and the practical steps people can take to “Unplastic Your Life.” The webinar was moderated by Dianna Cohen, Co-Founder and Chief Vision Officer, PPC. Watch the recording.

★ New U.S. Government Plan for Microplastics Falls Short of Protecting Human Health
On April 2, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lee Zeldin and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the EPA will now consider microplastics a “priority contaminant group” in the Contaminant Candidate List, while HHS will launch a $144 million project to investigate the impact of microplastics on human health. While it is positive that the U.S. Government is finally acknowledging the human health harms of microplastics, we already know enough to act. The Trump Administration’s plan for microplastics must also include actions that curb plastic production to be truly effective. Read more.

★ Sacred Ground: What World Religions Teach Us About Earth Stewardship
Our planet and humanity at large are facing a multitude of co-occurring crises. Some are finding inspiration for Earth stewardship in world religions, as many teach reverence for the natural world. From Buddhist compassion to Indigenous teachings, what do the religions of the world have to say about our responsibility to care for planet Earth? Read more.

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★ The Plastic Detox Film Screening and Live Panel Discussion
Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), Earth Island Institute (EII), Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), and Land and Sea For All presented a screening of the film The Plastic Detox at the David Brower center in Berkeley, CA. The panel discussion that followed was moderated by Dianna Cohen (PPC) and featured Dr. Shanna Swan (reproductive epidemiologist and PPC Scientific Advisor) and filmmakers Louie Psihoyos (OPS, PPC notable) and Josh Murphy (Land & Sea), as well as fertility specialist Dr. Thalia Segal (Collab Fertility).

★ Earth Day Biomaterial Innovation Panel & Happy Hour
Presented along with Amalgamated Bank, this event gathered together a variety of professionals working toward a plastic-free future. It was incredibly exciting to see next-generation biomaterials up close, as well as the diversity of professionals in the room ushering in plastic-free innovation.

★ April 2026: Business Member Wins
We’re pleased to debut our very first business wins roundup to highlight success stories from our members. In this edition, we’re highlighting a $115 million (USD) accelerator program to develop seaweed packaging technology, growth of a sunscreen brand packaged in aluminum, significant investment for promising biomaterial replacements to plastic packaging, and more! Read more.

★ Tell Your Legislator: Get Toxic Plastic Packaging Off Our Food and Drinks
U.S. food and beverages are wrapped in tons of plastic packaging. This plastic sheds microplastics and leaches chemicals into what we eat and drink, posing profound health risks. Call on your legislator to limit toxic plastic packaging! Send a letter.

★ NIH Event: Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program is hosting the ECHO Symposium: Translating Science to Action on May 6 at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, and online. The symposium will focus on two critical areas of chemical exposure: plastics and air quality. PPC will be tabling and our Executive Director Julia Cohen will be speaking as part of a Fireside Chat on Microplastics. Register for the event.

➤ Visit our website for more Resources, Events, and Ways to Take Action.