We are proud to announce that PPC once again has the honor of being an Official Nominator for The Earthshot Prize—created by Prince William and The Royal Foundation and designed to incentivize change and help repair our planet over the next 10 years. Winners of The Earthshot Prize will receive GBP £1 million (!), along with additional support to help scale their impact. We know there is so much amazing work happening within our Coalition and network, and we want to extend an invitation to all of you to submit nominations to be considered for this prestigious prize.

You can find more information about The Earthshot Prize, what kinds of submissions we’re looking for, and how to submit your nomination here. Please note we will not be taking phone calls or emails about The Earthshot Prize; nominations must be submitted through our online form to be considered.

By now you’ve probably seen the new satirical film Don’t Look Up. Join us on Wednesday, February 16, 2022, for our webinar "Don't Look Down": How Misinformation & Science Denial Obscures the Global Plastics and Climate Crisis. We will explore how the petrochemical industry works to convince us that everything is under control—when we can see clearly that it’s not. Join us for a deep dive with Yvette Arellano, Founder & Executive Director of Fenceline Watch; Shilpi Chhotray, Co-Founder & Executive Director of People Over Plastic; and Dr. Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science & Director, Earth System Science Center, Pennsylvania State University, whose work and persona provided inspiration for Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Don’t Look Up. It’s shaping up to be an amazing conversation—don’t miss it.

Wishing you good health, peace, and happiness in 2022,

Jen Fela & the Team at Plastic Pollution Coalition

★ The Ugly Side of Beauty: The Cosmetics Industry’s Plastic Packaging Problem
The cosmetics industry generates approximately US$ 341.1 billion annually—and 120 billion units of plastic packaging, most of which are not recyclable. Learn about how the cosmetics and personal care products industry contributes to the global plastics crisis as well as some sustainable, zero-waste alternatives. And be sure to check out the recent report on Good Morning America (GMA3) “Creating ‘Zero-Waste Face’ in Your Beauty Routine,” featuring PPC member C & The Moon and Co-Founder & Managing Director, Julia Cohen.

★ Break Free From Plastic Toxic Tour
The Break Free From Plastic Toxic Tour is a virtual mapping and storytelling project designed to bring visibility to the stories of frontline communities directly fighting petrochemical buildouts. This collection of stories provides a way to increase awareness of the upstream impacts of plastic, particularly on the health of local communities. Take the tour, see how plastic production pollutes communities worldwide, and take action.

★ New EIA report: Connecting the Dots: Plastic Pollution and the Planetary Emergency
This report from Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) pulls together recent scientific data on the broad impact of plastics on climate, biodiversity, human health, the environment, and planetary stability to sound the alarm on the pollution caused by plastic throughout its life cycle. Read the report.

★ The Climate 202: House Panel Asks Big Oil Board Members to Testify About Climate Disinformation
The House Oversight and Reform Committee has asked members of the boards of directors of ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, and Shell Oil to testify before Congress next month about their companies' commitment to curbing climate change. Read more.

★ 5 Gyres Trash Academy Season 2
Trash Academy is a web series that features 13 short educational videos available through the 5 Gyres YouTube channel. These 3-4 minute lessons explore a sector-based approach to the plastic waste crisis by looking at how plastic is used—and the problems it causes—across different industries like textiles, electronics, and agriculture. Watch Season 2 - Episode 1. 

★ Earth Day Live: Turning the Tide on Plastic Pollution: Mobilizing Around a Global Plastics Treaty
This Earth Day Live session took place on January 26 and featured international voices leading the charge to advocate for an international treaty banning plastics. Watch the recording to hear global leaders on multilateralism and pollution controls provide a comprehensive overview of this treaty, ways it can develop, and how you can support this opportunity to take action against plastic pollution.

★ Hollywood Stars Unite to Flip The Script on Plastics
We kicked off 2022 with a star-studded webinar, Flip the Script on Plastics in Hollywood: Rethinking Single-Use Plastics in Film & Television featuring Hollywood activists and artists Yareli Arizmendi, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, and Kyra Sedgwick; along with Dana Weinstein, Project Specialist for the Media Impact Project at the Norman Lear Center, USC. Watch the recording.

★ Get Single-Use Plastics Out of U.S. National Parks
Sign the petition asking the Honorable Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, to eliminate the sale and distribution of single-use plastic in U.S. National Parks. This effort represents a small but important step for the U.S. National Park Service to honor the legacy of Indigenous stewardship and deepen its commitment to a more socially and environmentally just future. Sign here.

★ Tell Amazon: Stop Polluting Our Planet With Plastic Packaging!
Oceana’s recent report reveals that Amazon generated an estimated 599 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2020, with up to 23.5 million pounds of this plastic waste entering the world’s waterways and seas. Find out more and sign our petition to tell Amazon to stop polluting our planet with plastic packaging.

★ Webinar | February 16 "Don't Look Down": How Misinformation & Science Denial Obscures the Global Plastics and Climate Crisis
Join us Wednesday, February 16, 2022, for a discussion on the impacts of plastics on climate and human health and how industry uses science denial and misinformation to prevent urgent and transformative solutions from being adopted. We will be joined by Yvette Arellano, Founder & Executive Director of Fenceline Watch; Shilpi Chhotray, Co-Founder & Executive Director of People Over Plastic; and Dr. Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science & Director, Earth System Science Center, Pennsylvania State University, whose work and persona provided inspiration for Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the satirical film Don’t Look Up. Register for this exciting webinar.

★ PPC is Seeking Solutions to Nominate for The Earthshot Prize
The Earthshot Prize—the most prestigious global environment prize in history—grants winners GBP £1 million, along with additional support to help scale their impact. Created by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, The Earthshot Prize is centered around five “Earthshots”—simple but ambitious goals for our planet which, if achieved by 2030, will improve life for us all, for generations to come. PPC is proud to be an Official Nominator for The Earthshot Prize in 2022; find out more and apply by February 14. No phone calls or emails please.