We’ve added new staff at Plastic Pollution Coalition that we are excited to introduce. For this month’s newsletter, please meet our Director of Communications, Jen Fela.

Hello! I’m Jen and very happy to join the Plastic Pollution Coalition team. I first took action on plastic pollution as a kid, when I gathered friends and petitioned our small elementary school in Pennsylvania to stop using Styrofoam trays in the cafeteria. At 6 years old we already realized that throwing away hundreds of disposable items each day is a waste of resources and terrible for nature—but we had no idea just how bad the problem would become. 

Fast forward a couple decades to 2009, and I started hearing from the newly formed Plastic Pollution Coalition about the health and environmental impacts of single-use plastics, that the Earth cannot digest plastic, and that we needed to take action. Plastic Pollution Coalition was among the first to bring the plastic pollution issue into the wider public consciousness and helped inspire me to take action again.

And now, while we have made a lot of progress over the past several years, there is more work to be done. Read on for the latest news, events, and ways to get involved in Plastic Free July, and other great global and local initiatives from our Coalition members around the world.

We also invite you to join us for our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, July 28: Plastic Free Periods: Protecting Our Bodies & Preventing Plastic Pollution, where we will discuss the connections between plastic pollution, menstruation, and social change.

Stay Inspired!

Jen Fela
Director of Communications
Plastic Pollution Coalition

Global: Reopen with Reuse
Join Plastic Pollution Coalition members and allies in calling on restaurants, festivals, and national parks to reopen with reuse. Foodservice businesses already require strict safety standards to make sure reusables are sanitized, so let’s make our voices heard. Add your name.

Watch ‘Humanity’s Impact’
Did you know that globally, we produce about 1 million plastic bottles every minute? What does that look like? Watch the PSA on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube and sign the petition to Coca-Cola here.

Make Your Voice Heard
Check out our petitions and take action!

• July 21: Conservando Nuestras Raices (Latino Conservation Week)
  
  
• July 22: Deadline: Break Free From Plastic Brand Audit Microfund Program
  
  
• July 24: End & Stems: Meal Planning to Reduce Food & Plastic Waste
  
  
• July 27: Plastic Free July Student Workshop
  
  
• July 29: Plastic Policy Roadmap to Rebound: Legislation for a Plastic-Free Future
  
  
• August 19: Understanding Packaging (UP) Scorecard Launch
  
  
• October 6: Different Perspectives on Food Contact Materials: Working Together to Make FCMs Safer by Food Packaging Forum
  

Here's a roundup of the latest news and updates from Coalition members. We want to hear from you! Please send us your updates.

• Not a member yet? Click here to join.
  
• Search the member directory to find organization and business members in your area.

⦿ GLOBAL

• UN Exhibit In Images: Plastic is Forever
  
  
• Plastic: A Personal History
  
  
• One Planet: 20 Companies Produce 55% Of The World’s Single-Use Plastic Waste -- Exxon & Dow Top The List
  
  
• The Ocean is Full of Tiny Plastic Particles – We Found a Way to Track Them with Satellites
  
  
• The Plastic Problem Isn't Your Fault, but You Can Be Part of the Solution
  

⦿ INDIA

• Plan the Ban: Roundtable on Report Release by Chintan
  
  
• Ban on Plastic Waste May Put Them Out of Circulation: Report
  

⦿ EUROPE/UK

• 5 Things to Know About the EU Single-Use Plastics Ban
  
  
• Plastic in Our Oceans May Have Already Changed the Planet…Forever
  

⦿ UNITED STATES

• Public Art Installation The Plastic Bag Store Creatively Showcases the Lasting Effects of Plastic Waste
  
  
• Report: Consumer Goods Companies are Missing the Mark with False Solutions to the Plastic Pollution Crisis
  
  
• Hawaii's Plastic Epidemic Continues with the Pandemic
  
  
• EPR for Packaging is (Finally!) Now Law in the US: Maine’s Governor Signs Historic Bill Into Law 
  
  
• 6 Tips from MADE SAFE for Plastic-Free Living
  
  
• An Interview with Cassia Patel: Fast Fashion and Microfiber Pollution
  
  
• House Passes Landmark Bill to Fund Clean Water and Stop Plastic Pellet Pollution
  

What Comes After This Plastic-Filled Pandemic?
Yes!

Plastic Recycling Could Be More Dangerous Than You Think
National Observer

Call for Global Treaty to End Production of ‘Virgin’ Plastic by 2040
The Guardian

Check out our Press Room.

We’re building a database of Media Experts from our Coalition. If you would like to be listed please, send us an email.

Connect with us at these online events. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn by visiting our Team page.

July 28 Webinar
Plastic Free Periods: Protecting Our Bodies & Preventing Plastic Pollution
Date: Wed., July 28
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm PT | 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET
Click here to convert to your timezone.
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Save the Date - August 25 Webinar
Plastic Free Outdoors: Honoring Nature, Preventing Plastic Pollution

CONTACT
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