Tag: plastic pollution

Change

Fall is a beautiful time of the year!

Happy fall! After such a hot summer many are welcoming the cooler days, but not the shorter daylight. I love this post from the Carbon Almanac. Many are talking about working on a climate goal for the new season. I recommend using less single use plastic.

Today is the equinox when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are approximately equal in length. It happens twice a year, in March and September, and marks a transition from one season to the next season.

It can be a good time to think about what you want to transition to (or away from). Is there a change you have been wanting to make?

In the context of helping our planet, that could be setting up a regular walk with friends to talk about ideas, donating an hour to an environmental group, reading about your local government policies on climate adaptation or eating less meat one night a week.

What action will be your change for this season?

Deodorant and Plastic

 This is an interesting history story, and tells us a lot about how we became such a plastic world.
The reason you think you need deodorant was invented by an ad agency in 1919, and how it became packaged in plastic
This a post from Go Green.

The reason you think you need deodorant was invented by an ad agency in 1919. And how it became packaged in plastic.
Before the 20th century, body odor wasn’t considered a social problem. People bathed less frequently, sweating was understood as a natural bodily function, and nobody was selling a product to fix it because nobody had convinced the public it needed fixing.
That changed in 1919, when a struggling product called Odorono hired the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency to save its sales. What followed was one of the most effective and consequential marketing campaigns in history.The ad, titled “Within the Curve of a Woman’s Arm,” ran in Ladies’ Home Journal and was so explicit about the social consequences of body odor that the magazine received over 200 letters of complaint. Sales went up 112% the following year.
The campaign didn’t just sell a product. It manufactured an entirely new social anxiety that didn’t really exist before the ad ran. Within a decade, the deodorant industry was established, and within a generation, daily deodorant use had become a hygiene standard in the US.
The original Odorono came in a glass bottle. But as demand exploded through the mid-20th century, packaging followed the same pattern as almost every other personal care product. It went plastic. Plastic was cheap, lightweight, and easy to manufacture at scale. Like most packaging decisions of that era, nobody was thinking about where it would end up.
The good news is today we have alternatives. Plastic-free deodorants in cardboard tubes, refillable metal cases, and compostable packaging are now available, while the natural deodorant within them that didn’t work as well in the past has largely been solved by modern formulations. The history of pre-modern deodorant use teaches us that there are better options to using plastic.
Coming SoonThis story is one of 25 chapters in Life Before Plastic, a book I’m writing on the history of everyday products, what came before them, how and why they are now made of plastic, and what the best modern alternatives are.

 Read online

Look for deodorant that is packaged in cardboard or in glass.

Micromonsters

Five easy ways to reduce your microplastic exposure

-Drink tap, not bottled water

-Replace plastic dishes, utensils, and cutting boards in your kitchen.

-Replace non-stick pans for cooking.

-Never microwave in plastic

-Choose clothing made from wool, cotton, silk or linen instead of polyester.

Plastic is YUCK – Health4earth

Plastic is YUCK

This is excellent from USPIRG

When it comes to plastic, what goes around comes around. And not in a good way.We like to think plastic is gone for good after we throw it in the recycling bin or trash can. But plastic doesn’t just disappear. Instead, it finds its way back to us in the food we eat, in the water we drink, and even in the very air we breathe.The more we learn, the more concerned we become about plastic. It’s not only trashing our environment, it’s also getting into our bodies. That’s information you should be aware of and might want to pass on to your friends and neighbors.Let’s take a look at the ways in which the plastic we throw out eventually comes back to haunt us:Plastic is in our food. (Yuck.)Believe it or not, plastic particles called microplastics have been found in countless food items. Marine animals routinely mistake tiny microplastics for food. When we eat fish, shrimp or shellfish, we may eat the plastic these animals once consumed.1Plastic isn’t only in seafood. Microplastics are contaminating soil, and plants may absorb them through their root systems. This means that plastic may be finding its way into carrots, lettuce, potatoes and other common vegetables that we eat.2It's also in our water. (Yuck.)Microplastics are tiny. So tiny, in fact, that they can easily bypass standard water filtration systems. Studies have detected microplastics in tap water samples from cities all over the world.3If you think bottled water is plastic-free, think again. A single liter of bottled water may contain an average of 240,000 detectable plastic fragments, largely shedding from the bottle itself and the capping process.4Plastic is even in the air we breathe. (Yikes.)Because microplastics are lightweight, wind easily sweeps up plastic fibers from car tires, degraded trash and even polyester clothing. These airborne plastics can travel thousands of miles, settling in city streets, parks and everywhere in between. And when they’re airborne, people unknowingly inhale them.5We already have plenty of plastic. But they keep making more and more.If current trends hold, 1.2 billion tons of plastic could be manufactured each year by 2050. To put this number into perspective, the cumulative total would be enough to completely cover the U.S. in a layer of plastic that’s ankle-deep.6At PIRG, we refuse to let this become our future.We’re urging grocers to reduce unnecessary plastic packaging and petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency to enact meaningful limits on microplastics in drinking water. And by raising public awareness of plastic’s problems, we’re working to generate the groundswell of support that’s necessary for meaningful change.But we can’t do it without you. Our work relies on the dedication of members like you who refuse to let the plastics industry dictate the health of our families and the future of our planet.Thank you for standing with us,Faye Park
President

P.S. Problems this big demand all hands on deck. You can help us reduce plastic waste and pollution with a donation today.

1. Lisa Frank, “New study finds microplastics in commonly eaten seafood,” Environment America, January 27, 2025.
2. Kate Peterson, “There is an alarming amount of microplastics in farm soil–and our food supply,” Civil Eats, January 27, 2021.
3. Tao Sun, Yuefa Teng, Chenglong Ji, Fei Li, Xiujuan Shan and Huifeng Wu, “Global prevalence of microplastics in tap water systems: Abundance, characteristics, drivers and knowledge gaps,” Science of the Total Environment, June 15, 2024.
4. Vicki Contie, “Plastic particles in bottled water,” National Institutes of Health, January 23, 2024.
5. Ally Hirschlag and Martha Henriques, “The air throughout our homes is infused with microplastics. But there are things you can do to breathe less of them,” BBC, April 11, 2026.
6. Leslie Kaufman, “The climate impact of our insatiable plastic addiction,” Bloomberg, December 30, 2022.Your donation will power our dedicated staff of organizers, policy experts and attorneys who drive all of our campaigns in the public interest, from banning toxic pesticides and moving us beyond plastic, to saving our antibiotics and being your consumer watchdog, to protecting our environment and our democracy. None of our work would be possible without the support of people just like you.

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World Refill Day, June 16

Reduce your plastic, fill a bottle or a container

Refill your own container with bulk items. It reduces plastic and I think it saves you money, too!

Join the ⭐#5DayChallenge to reuse.⭐ World Refill Day is June 16, but let’s make reuse a habit all week long and beyond.

☕ Choose a new reusable plastic-free swap each day or stick with one that works for you. Whether it’s refilling your coffee cup, reusing containers for takeaway food, or shopping packaging-free options—every swap counts.🔃

#GlobalRefill#WorldRefillDay#Reuse#Reduce#ZeroWaste#PlasticPollutes

What is World Refill Day?
World Refill Day is a global awareness day spearheaded by City to Sea, an award-winning UK-based environmental charity working to stop plastic pollution at source. The day asks individuals, businesses, and policymakers to choose reuse over single-use, whether that means refilling a water bottle, bringing a reusable cup to the coffee shop, or shopping at a packaging-free store. It sits alongside the Refill app, which now lists hundreds of thousands of free water refill points across more than 30 countries.

Bring your reusable water bottle.

World Cup and Plastic Pollution

Tell the World Cup to allow reusable water bottles!

Tell FIFA: Reverse the restriction on reusable water bottles at World Cup stadiums. Tell FIFA: We Want Our Reusable Bottles at the World Cup! | Story of Stuff


But FIFA just decided late last week to no longer allow any reusable water bottles at World Cup stadiums, so sports fans can’t beat the heat without resorting to wasteful disposable plastic bottles.1


Access to water is critical to fans’ comfort and safety — especially in sweltering summer weather. And spectators should be able to stay hydrated without producing plastic waste that will stick around as pollution for centuries.


Tell FIFA: Reverse the restriction on reusable water bottles at World Cup stadiums. Tell FIFA: Allow reusable water bottles at World Cup stadiums


FIFA had originally said that some types of reusable bottles would be allowed, before suddenly reversing course.2


It’s a move that will only create more plastic trash at a time when plastic pollution is already out of control. Every 16 hours, Americans throw out enough plastic to fill a sports stadium up to the brim.3


Every disposable plastic bottle we use and toss has the potential to pollute our environment and even threaten our health.


A lot of the plastic we throw away ends up in landfills, where it can break down into tiny, polluting particles and leach harmful chemicals into our soil and water.4


And some is incinerated — a process that emits toxic chemicals into the air. Air pollution from burning plastic can emit chemicals known to cause cancer, reproductive harm, birth defects and other health problems.5


Why pollute our world and risk our health with disposable plastic bottles, when a reusable solution is right in front of us?


Allowing reusable water bottles in stadiums is the right thing to do. Add your name and ask FIFA to allow reusable bottles.


Some sports stadiums have already demonstrated that allowing fans to bring their own reusable bottles is a safe, simple way to prevent pollution.


Every World Cup spectator should be able to do the same.


Ask FIFA to allow reusable water bottles at World Cup stadiums today. Tell FIFA: Allow reusable water bottles at World Cup stadiums


1. Scott Thompson, “FIFA bans refillable water bottles from World Cup stadiums despite original rules stating otherwise,” Fox News, June 4, 2026.
2. Scott Thompson, “FIFA bans refillable water bottles from World Cup stadiums despite original rules stating otherwise,” Fox News, June 4, 2026.
3. Celeste Meiffren-Swango and James Horrox, “Trash in America,” PIRG, December 9, 2025.
4. “Plastic planet: How tiny plastic particles are polluting our soil,” United Nations Environment Programme, last accessed April 28, 2026.
5. Celeste Meiffren-Swango, James Horrox, Grace Vickers & Carol Li, “”Chemical recycling”: What you need to know,” PIRG, July 14, 2025.

World Oceans Day

Today we celebrate our oceans, which are vital to the health of our planet.

 

Make it a plastic-free day.

Our oceans are warming at a staggering rate which has an effect on our weather and the health of our planet. Besides making it plastic-free decide how you can reduce your fossil fuels use by driving less and using less energy it your home!

Our oceans need protection!

Below is from the Carbon Almanac:

In December 2022, governments around the world agreed to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. Now just over three years later, 10% of the ocean is officially protected. To meet the 2030 goal, an area the size of the Indian Ocean still needs to come under protection.  

With a big step towards the 2030 goal, Papua New Guinea recently established the 200,000 sq. km Western Manus Marine Protected Area which is the largest the country has designated to date.

As we think about our waters, visit the World Ocean Day website for more information on the role they play and how to take action.

Plastic Pollution

How much garbage do you produce?

Below is from the Plastic Pollution Coalition:
Plastic “recycling” is a false solution to plastic pollution. How do we know this? Since the 1970s, businesses making and selling plastic, governments, and some organizations have overwhelmingly told the public that it is essential to recycle plastic. Recycling messages have been communicated to us across all types of media and in many different ways: in advertising campaigns, imprinted recycling symbols on plastic products, and much more. Yet, despite this major push for recycling plastic, plastic pollution and its toxic impacts continue to grow. There is plenty of evidence that plastic recycling is not only failing to live up to its promises, it is also making plastic pollution worse. In contrast, by focusing on plastic-free reuse, we can tap into a solution that ends wastefulness at the source.

Recycled Plastics Are Toxic

How can an activity we’ve been told is right actually be wrong? Turns out, plastics were never designed to be recycled. “The future of plastic is in the trash can,” one packaging industry executive said at a plastic industry meeting in 1956—not in the recycling bin. In other words, plastic was designed to be wasted, despite the heavy toll that its full existence—from the extraction of fossil fuels to plastic’s eventual disposal in landfills, incinerators, or the environment—has on people and the planet.

Plastics are Not “Circular”

Today, the plastic and fossil fuel industries continue to perpetuate the myth that plastics are recyclable by promoting the idea of “plastics circularity”—that plastics can somehow be reused endlessly without creating harmful costs. But this idea is false: Plastic recycling as it is today is harmful and cannot be considered “circular,” because plastic recycling processes continue to drive plastic pollution and its dangerous and toxic impacts—including the climate crisis, environmental injustice, chemical pollution, and more. And while we may need to engage in some kinds of recycling of the less toxic plastics we already have in order to mitigate plastic pollution, recycling on its own cannot be seen as the sole solution to plastic pollution. Instead, recycling must be coupled with a drastic reduction in plastic production in order to be more helpful than harmful. 

“Recycled” Plastics are Actually Downcycled

Additionally, even when plastics are recycled, they are most often “downcycled,” or made into items of lesser value and quality (like turning plastic water bottles into plastic fleece jackets or carpet fiber), and continue to cause considerable pollution. When collected for traditional “mechanical” recycling, plastics must be sorted by color and type, washed, and shredded up. These processes burn large amounts of fossil fuel energy–emitting chemicals and greenhouse gases, waste and contaminate water, and create microplastics and nanoplastics. The small plastic particles are then melted down, and manufacturers must mix in a large amount of newly made (virgin) plastic and/or toxic additives to restore some of its useful properties. Recycling increases the toxicity of plastic; there are hundreds of additional toxic chemicals, including pesticides and pharmaceuticals, in recycled plastic. And that’s in addition to the mix of more than 16,000 chemicals in newly made plastic.

“Recycled” Plastic is Not Suitable for Food and Beverage Packaging

The toxicity of plastic and recycled plastic presents serious dangers to the environment and public health, and drives environmental injustices. Research has indicated that recycled plastic is not suitable for many uses, particularly when it comes to packaging of food and beverages, as it contains a wide range of dangerous chemicals. Drink bottles made of recycled plastic are even more contaminated than drink bottles made of virgin (new) plastic, and these chemicals easily leach into the beverages they contain. 

Plastics Create Environmental Injustice

Today, most plastic that is discarded as “waste” is never recycled. The global waste industry is more likely to landfill, incinerate, or ship plastic—often to the Global South—where plastic is dumped and sometimes open-burned, driving pollution and injustice as waste colonialism. Meanwhile, these industries only continue to increase plastic production, worsening plastic pollution.

Communities near plastic recycling sorting centers, often called materials recovery facilities (MRFs), and recycling plants are often the most underserved, and face increased risks to their health. People who find employment by picking through plastic pollution as part of the informal waste sector, who often live in the Global South, face serious health hazards and poor working conditions. Plastic recycling infrastructure and activities can cause polluted air, soil, and drinking water; bring constant truck, train, or barge traffic as well as scavenger animals who are attracted to eating waste; and there are often fires or intake of radioactive and other hazardous materials.

Love Your Mother!

We need to do more to protect our beautiful planet!

Mother Earth, we love you.

Our Earth is so beautiful, especially in May! On Mother’s day we should be thankful for our mothers’, but also for our Mother Earth

Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action. Nature is suffering. Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic. Extreme heat, wildfires and floods, have affected millions of people. If we all do one thing like stop idling our cars or driving less, we can make a difference!

There are so many wars going on. We need to stop all this destruction which has such a negative effect of people and planet!

Climate change, man-made changes to nature as well as crimes that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can accelerate the speed of destruction of the planet.

Everyone needs to play a part in protecting our planet. We need to buy less plastic junk, we need to drive less, and plant native plants. We need to expose ourselves and our Earth to less harmful chemicals. These things protect our health and the health of our planet. Protecting clean water and clean air need to be priorities. Everything else relates to that!

Plant bee balm, purple cone flowers, blazing star and rudbeckia. They attract pollinators and need no chemicals!

plastic-free tips – Health4earth