TAKE ACTION
to stop
PLASTIC POLLUTION
and for an
equitable zero waste future
New York State
Urgent action needed to reduce plastic pollution and climate emissions
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Email your NY State Senator & Assemblymember and urge to support the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act.
OR CALL THEM! (most impactful)
Phone numbers & SCRIPT -> Urge your NY State Senator and Assemblymember to support the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Act and the Bigger Better Bottle Bill: 1. Dial the Senate Switchboard at (518) 455-2800 and ask to be connected to your Senator’s office. If you’re not sure who your Senator is, click here to look them up.
2. Next, call the Assembly Switchboard at 518-455-4100 and ask to be connected to your Assemblymember’s office. If you’re not sure who your Assemblymember is, click here to look them up.
3.Click here to let us know if you were able to get through and how your calls went. This information is critical to our efforts so please don't skip it. What are these bills about?
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A5322/S4246) would require companies to cut their single-use packaging in half and redesign what’s left to make it recyclable, as well as to remove toxic chemicals such as PFAS, benzene, toluene, phthalates, bisphenols, and heavy metals from their packaging. And when their packaging is discarded, the companies would be required to pay to collect, sort, and manage what's left, providing much-needed taxpayer relief and funding for our recycling programs and infrastructure. The Bigger Better Bottle Bill (A6353/S237) would update New York's 40-year-old container deposit law by increasing the deposit from a nickel to a dime and expanding the list of containers to include wine, liquor, and most non-carbonated beverages. These changes could increase New York's bottle redemption rate from just 64% to 90% - keeping billions more recyclable cans and bottles out of landfills and incinerators and reducing litter. Increasing the deposit would also give the community of low-income New Yorkers, known as“canners”, a long overdue raise. These folks are on the front lines of reducing litter and making our recycling systems work and tend to be among our state’s most vulnerable folks. Why we need this legislation NOW!
Time is running out!
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There are just a few weeks left to get these 2 bills passed. The NYS legislative session ends on June 8th. Thank you for calling your State Senator and Assemblymember today!
Thank you to our friends at BeyondPlastics.org for this action alert. |
GLOBAL PLASTICS TREATY
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The world urgently needs an ambitious global treaty to protect the environment and human health and to end the plastic pollution crisis. But the US, Saudi Arabia and other big fossil fuel and plastics producers want to weaken the agreement. ("Administration seeks more relaxed approach on reducing plastics," Washington Post, May 30, 2023)
On March 2, 2022, 175 nations agreed to develop the first ever legally binding agreement on plastic pollution by 2024, prompting a major step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production, use and disposal. Read more (UNEP)
Thank you to our friends at Plastic Pollution Coalition for these action alerts. |
WATCH: Global Plastics Treaty explainer by The Story of Stuff Project.
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NYC #plasticfree climate action
SIGN THE PETITION ->
for weekly Plastic Free Lunch Days
in NYC school cafeterias!
SIGN THE PETITION ->
for weekly Plastic Free Lunch Days
in NYC school cafeterias!
NYC VICTORY!
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Plastic pollution could be slashed by 80% by 2040, UN says
The Guardian, May 16, 2023
"The changes needed are major, but are also practical and affordable, the agency said.
The first step is to eliminate unnecessary plastics, such as excessive packaging, the report said.
"The way we produce, use and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems,
creating risks for human health and destabilising the climate."
--- Inger Andersen, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Executive Director.
Take Action!
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Start at home or work 
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EASY US ACTION: Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act Send a letter to your Member of Congress and US Senators -> |
Getting push-back from decision makers about the switch
to reusables and refillable systems?
Use our new
Resource Library
to reusables and refillable systems?
Use our new
Resource Library
U.S. PLASTIC-FREE POLICY ACTION!
Ask your US representatives to support the new:
Protecting Communities From Plastics Act
Protect communities from the harmful effects of plastics
From WasteDive, Dec. 5, 2022:
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., last week introduced the Protecting Communities From Plastics Act, which aims to further regulate the plastics manufacturing industry, temporarily pause permitting for certain facilities and create incentives for more reuse and refill programs.
“Plastic pollution isn’t just a problem for our oceans and climate — it’s a massive environmental injustice, directly impacting frontline and fenceline communities throughout the plastics lifecycle,” Huffman said in a statement.
Protecting Communities From Plastics Act
Protect communities from the harmful effects of plastics
From WasteDive, Dec. 5, 2022:
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., last week introduced the Protecting Communities From Plastics Act, which aims to further regulate the plastics manufacturing industry, temporarily pause permitting for certain facilities and create incentives for more reuse and refill programs.
“Plastic pollution isn’t just a problem for our oceans and climate — it’s a massive environmental injustice, directly impacting frontline and fenceline communities throughout the plastics lifecycle,” Huffman said in a statement.
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Reduce PLASTIC Waste in National Parks Act 70,000 citizens already petitioned The Department of Interior to end the sale & distribution of single-use plastics in National Parks. add your name to the petition -> Learn More
On World Oceans Day (june 8, 2022), Interior Secretary Deb Haaland issued Secretarial Order 3407 to phase out single-use plastics across the entire Department of the Interior (DOI) over a 10-year period. This will phase out the procurement, sale, and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging across the U.S. Department of the Interior lands and offices by 2032, which includes the National Park Service. While this is an important step forward, the Department can and must do more to accelerate the reduction of harmful plastics pollutants. From our friends at Oceana.org and Break Free From Plastic Specific actions that can accelerate this urgently needed change, include:
Urge the department to prioritize eliminating the procurement, sale, and distribution of single-use plastics in all 423 national parks and leverage government purchasing power to shift suppliers and manufacturers toward viable alternatives. After a 2011 Obama administration policy went into effect, 23 national parks banned the sale of single-use plastic water bottles, eliminating between 1.3 and 2 million disposable plastic water bottles and saving up to 111,743 pounds of plastic and 141 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.[v] Although this policy was unfortunately reversed in 2017 by the Trump administration, this order puts the department on track for even more significant reductions. Ask your U.S. Representative and Senators to sponsor the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act (S.2960/H.R.5533)! Join our friends at 5Gyres.org to Collect Data on Plastic Pollution in National Parks!
5gyres.org is mobilizing volunteers to document plastic pollution at U.S. National Parks using their research platform, TrashBlitz. Data will contribute to a report (to be published Fall 2022) that unveils the materials, items, and brands of waste found in national parks. These results can be used to support and inform legislation to keep harmful single-use plastic out of our protected spaces. more -> |
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STUDENT ACTION!
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Students, lead a teach-in on the
Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act: 
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Youth Leaders and Teachers, sign up for free access for the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act Teach-in presentation -> A huge THANK YOU to all our
US Congressional Reps in NYC for supporting this groundbreaking bill! |
Ask your US Representatives to support the BREAK FREE FROM PLASTIC POLLUTION ACT - Shift responsibility for waste management & recycling to manufacturers and producers - Set up a US beverage container refund program - Establish minimum recycled content standards - Phase out single-use plastic products that aren’t recyclable - Prohibit plastic waste from being exported to developing countries Read more |
1- Tell Food Delivery Apps to Please Hold The Plastic
Please let SEAMLESS, DOORDASH, GRUBHUB, DELIVERY.COM, CAVIAR, AND POSTMATE know that most of the single-use items that come along with our to-go orders are not recyclable. These items add to our plastic pollution crisis! It is time for these companies to re-design their apps with a "NO single-use" as the default setting for all orders. Uber Eats has already done it.Orders should only have single-use items, such as plastic cutlery, straws and condiment packets if customers ask for it! |
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COMMUNITY ACTION
for all ages
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NYC VICTORY!!!
Thanks to all who helped get the Plastic Straw By Request Bill passed. Start your own Straw-By-Request campaign. We have tools! -> 
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MORE SCHOOL ACTIONS
EDUCATE
your students, teachers, staff and community
by hosting a screening of our award winning documentary,
MICROPLASTIC MADNESS!
Free screenings for all Title One schools!
Offering ongoing special free screening days for all schools
Sign up to host a screening here.
EDUCATE
your students, teachers, staff and community
by hosting a screening of our award winning documentary,
MICROPLASTIC MADNESS!
Free screenings for all Title One schools!
Offering ongoing special free screening days for all schools
Sign up to host a screening here.
PLASTIC FREE LUNCH DAY! Take climate action by reducing single-use plastics in your school cafeteria. Learn more -> Start by hosting a screening of MICROPLASTIC MADNESS |
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Students debate, ask questions, collect data, and take community action using their own powerful stories about how local plastic street litter becomes global toxic marine pollution, threatening our oceans and marine wildlife. Learn more -> Watch our student videos - |
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Host a school-wide screening and
join the PLASTIC FREE LUNCH campaign! 
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Start a student-leadership program in your school cafeteria
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Cafeteria Culture is dedicated to supporting youth
as leaders in their schools & communities
to stop plastic pollution, reduce food and food packaging waste,
provide composting for all communities,
and to ensure quality climate education for K-12 students.
YOU CAN HELP!!
as leaders in their schools & communities
to stop plastic pollution, reduce food and food packaging waste,
provide composting for all communities,
and to ensure quality climate education for K-12 students.
YOU CAN HELP!!
NEW YORK ACTION
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NY State residents, your action is needed to reduce plastic packaging and plastic pollution.
It's time to shift the financial burden of managing packaging waste from taxpayers to the producers. NY Assemblymember Englebright's and NY State Senator May's Extended Producer Responsibility and Bigger Better Bottle bills reduce packaging, reduce toxics, prohibit plastic burning from counting as recycling, and do not hand over the decision-making power to the very polluters that created the problem in the first place. Let's get the NY Extended Producer Responsibility Bill (Assembly bill A10185 - Senate Bill S9493) and Bigger Better Bottle Bill (Assembly bill A10184 - Senate S9164) passed! Here's how you can help:
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Ask your NYS Senator and Assembly Member to co-sponsor the tobacco product waste reduction act NY Senate Bill S1278 stop the sale of polluting cigarettes with single-use filters and single-use electronic cigarettes Passing this bill will reduce toxic plastic pollution NEW YORK
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New York City Action Alert
#SaveOurCompost NYC
82% of NYC’s waste is incinerated or exported to landfills
and much of our waste is coming from our kitchens! TAKE ACTION
#SaveOurCompost NYC
82% of NYC’s waste is incinerated or exported to landfills
and much of our waste is coming from our kitchens! TAKE ACTION
Compost drop off site at Union Square run by Lower Eastside Ecology Center
Listen to youth!
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