Plastic Crisis Resources

Discussions through the PPoFT environmental campaign initially began with plastics, through its Plastic Action Group, and continues under the broader umbrella of Environmental Interest Group. Find below some opportunities for action and resources related to our work on reducing single-use plastics in our lives.

Get Harmful PFAFs Out of Our Lives

PFAFs are one of the most hazardous chemicals to human health, yet theylurk in just about everything we purchase and consume. Watch this video about PFAFs and/or read this article to find out how to avoid them.

The Perils of Plastic

Click on this video to watch a recording of Kenneth Moore’s presentation about plastic and the plastic crisis. Presented during the Environmental Interest Groups’ June 17, 2022 meeting.

Resources

Recipes for homemade products to reduce your use of plastic:

Quick Links to Other Resources

Organizations for Reducing Plastic:

Sustainable Packaging

Legislation

  • 2023-2024 California Legislative Session:

    • AB 1290 (Product Pollution Prevention & Packaging Responsibility Act) is a bill that addresses the safety of plastic packaging. It would prohibit the use of PVC, PVDC, PET-G, or pigmented PET packaging, AND the addition of PFAS, carbon black, and oxodegradable additives in plastic packaging. This eliminates several of the most problematic forms of plastics that contaminate recycling or post a risk to human health.

    • SB 244 (Right to Repair) will ensure that consumers have the ability to fix the electronics that they own or have them fixed by a technician, preventing e-waste and saving consumers money. This bill will require manufacturers of consumer electronics to provide replacement parts, diagnostic information, and service literature to consumers and third-party repair businesses.

    • SB 353 (Bottle Bill Expansion) is a bill that supports our state's recycling infrastructure by incorporating 46 oz and larger juice containers into the Bottle Bill, resulting in an additional 100 million to 200 million containers recycled each year! It also authorizes CalRecycle to adjust the processing payment to recyclers to more reflect the recycling market, aligning processing payments with the current, actual cost of recycling.

  • Dec. 15, 2022 Senate hearing on Reducing Plastic Waste: Plastic, recycling industry, and environmental science executives discussed the pros and cons of plastic use while testifying before a Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Waste Management. Topics included access to recycling, reducing contamination, and the effects of plastic chemicals on human health.

  • SB 38 - The Beverage Container Recycling Act of 2021 was approved by the Governor in Sept. of 2022. It would require the beverage industry to create an accessible recycling and redemption system for its bottles and cans. Click here to learn how the CA bottle bill works.

  • SB 54 - Solid Wast: Reporting, Packaging, and Plastic Food Service Ware (The Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act) passed the Assembly and was signed into law by Governor Newsom on June 30, 2022! Our representatives voted as follows: Assemblywoman Megan Dahle = Yea, Senator Brian Dahle = absent. This piece of legislation heads of the ballot measure that was slotted to appear on the November ballot. Click here for some articles about the recent adoption of this law: LA Times, and The Hill.

  • National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine report: U.S. ShouldCreate National Strategy by End of 2022 to Reduce Its Increasing Contribution to Global Plastic Ocean Waste.

  • The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act (Federal Bill): HR 2238 and SB 984. Go to Break Free from Plastic to learn more and for an opportunity to urge your legislators to support this bill.

Documentaries/Videos

Recycling information

Lessons for Educators

Listen to This!

Recent Articles about Plastic

Books

Plastic in the Oceans

  • 4Ocean: an organization actively engaged in cleaning up and documenting plastic in the oceans; sells products created by recycling the plastic they collect in order to fund their clean up activities.

  • 5 Gyres Project

Reduce Plastics-Letter Writing Campaign

Are you concerned about the tsunami of waste plastics happening around the globe?? Join a letter writing campaign to ask retailers to reduce the amount of plastic containers and products on their shelves, especially single-use items. Click here for everything you need to get started from the comfort of your own home. Anyone is welcome to join this campaign, please spread the word!

Urge Congress to Support the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act

The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act was re-introduced to Congress in March of 2021. This legislation is our best hope for stopping the proliferation of wasteful, unnecessary plastics at the federal level. Click below to sign one of these petitions urging Congress to support this act!

The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act would address the single-use plastics that are flooding the market and other key parts of plastic pollution, by:

  • Shifting responsibility for waste management and recycling to manufacturers and producers,

  • Setting up a national beverage container refund program,

  • Establishing minimum recycled content standards,

  • Phasing out certain single-use plastic products that aren’t recyclable,

  • Prohibiting plastic waste from being exported to developing countries, and

  • Placing a moratorium on new and expanding plastic facilities until the EPA updates and creates vital environmental and health regulations on those facilities.

Activities you could do with others

PPoFT’s Plastic Action Group in the news: