Raising food, a family, and public awareness about the intertwined plastic pollution and climate change crises. There's no Planet B so we gotta act now.
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Articles by Eve Fox
π Celebrating Juneteenth with Environmental Justice Advocates on the Frontlines of Plastic Pollution π
Roishetta Sibley Ozane is the founder and CEO of The Vessel Project of Louisiana; Gulf Fossil Finance Coordinator; and a longstanding, well-respected environmental justice advocate from the Gulf Coast. Her work has included raising awareness about petrochemical and plastic pollution and educating communities about climate and environmental justice, and she has organized tours for federal agencies to witness firsthand how refineries poison water and soil in Black and marginalized communities.
Why is it so hard to make a biodegradable plastic?
“Biodegradable” sounds like it should be simple — but it’s not. Biodegradable means that biological organisms, like bacteria and fungi, break something down until there’s nothing left but carbon dioxide (CO2), water, and something called biomass (natural material from living things). The challenge is that the tiny organisms that do the work of breaking materials down need the right temperature, moisture, and oxygen levels to do it.
REPORT: Tracking Starbucks’ Deceptive Recyclability Claims
A Second Finding: Many Starbucks Stores Offered No Recycling at All Beyond Plastics initially focused on 21 states for the investigation but was able to deploy trackers in only 10 of them. The stores surveyed in the other 11 states did not offer recycling at all or had specific signage showing that Starbucks’ plastic and paper cups are collected for landfill only. This is notable given that Starbucks is publicly promoting its polypropylene cold cups as “widely recyclable” nationwide.
Plastic Pollution Is a Growing Threat to Birds’ Survival
How Does Plastic Harm Birds? Ingestion 🥤 Birds often mistake plastic for food or eat it indirectly through prey like fish and worms that already contain small pieces of plastic. Eating plastic can cause choking, damage to internal organs, or even starvation in birds. Because plastic pollution is so widespread, all birds are at risk. By 2050, nearly every seabird on earth (99%!) will have ingested plastic.
šGiving āThe Problem with Plasticā to Legislators & Librarians in VTšļø
Can you share a bit about the logistics of getting books into the hands of legislators? I'm glad to say I'm friends with a recent Town Representative and asked his advice on how to get copies of the book into the hands of the right people up at Montpelier. He immediately answered "Get them to the office staff for The Speaker of the House, Jill Krowinski. She's great, and they'll know who should get them". And it was as easy as that.
Can Avoiding Plastic for One Week Reduce the Level of Toxic Chemicals in Your Body?
Last month, a new scientific study published in Nature Medicine found that just seven days of living with less plastic significantly reduced levels of chemicals used to make plastics in our bodies. The researchers focused on phthalates and bisphenols, two groups of chemicals commonly used in plastics that have well-known health impacts because of their effect on the endocrine system.
čśä Embracing Radical Optimism at Our Regional Conference in Philly čź▒čĆ╝ÔÇŹčź▓čĆ┐
In late March, advocates, community leaders, and organizers from across the region gathered for the ÔÇťRadical Optimism for a World Beyond PlasticÔÇŁ conference hosted by Beyond Plastics at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA. It was a day to reconnect, share strategies, and renew our collective commitment to ending single-use plastic pollution.
Stop EPA’s Sneak Attack on the Clean Air Act, Our Health & The Environment
Unfortunately, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sneakily slipped a concerning provision into its draft rule on air curtain incinerators (which is a concerning enough rule on its own!) Buried on page 17 of the rule is one paragraph that would significantly deregulate most of America’s “chemical recycling” facilities, by removing pyrolysis units from the Clean Air Act’s Section 129 protections.
Why Do We Need to Take Extra Precautions to Protect Children?
Children aren’t just small adults, but instead have unique vulnerabilities to the harms of plastic. Plastics contain thousands of hazardous chemicals, and many more that lack safety data. Scientists are particularly concerned about endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which are chemicals that interfere with the body’s hormonal systems. This is a huge concern for children because hormones are essential to guide growth and development.
Plastic Toys: A Potential Risk to Children’s Health and the Environment
How Children Are Exposed to Chemicals from Toys Harmful chemicals can migrate out of toys during normal use and throughout a toy’s lifetime, resulting in multiple routes of exposure for children: Mouthing: Young children frequently chew or suck on toys, and several studies have found that saliva can accelerate the release of chemicals from plastic, leading to direct exposure through the mouth. Inhalation: Volatile and semi-volatile chemicals are chemicals released into the air.
Congress: Protect Our Health from Toxic Chemicals in Plastics
🚨URGENT: The chemical industry is trying to gut the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the most important federal law that enables the EPA to protect health and the environment from harmful chemicals.
Why Does Black Plastic Pose a Bigger Risk Than Other Colors?
You may have heard experts suggest that you should throw out the black plastic utensils and containers in your kitchen and wondered, “Why just the black ones?” All plastics can contain toxic chemicals, but scientists have raised particular concerns about some black plastic products. The concern centers on flame retardants. These chemicals are added to materials to reduce fire risk, especially in electronics.
Host a Screening of The Plastic Detox
Set an attendance goal. Based on the space you’ll be using, you should set a realistic goal for how many people you want to attend. Ideally, the space will be full but not overflowing (you must abide by posted occupancy limits) and there must be seating available for everyone.
Recycled Plastic in Food and Beverage Packaging — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
SAFETY CONCERNS Studies show that most plastic produced in the U.S. and Canada is not safe to be recycled into food-grade products. Several studies have found that as the amount of recycled content increases, the amount of toxic chemicals also goes up, including: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Airborne toxic chemicals associated with difficulty breathing, nervous system damage, and cancer. A study identified 524 VOCs in recycled plastic, compared to only 461 VOCs in virgin plastics.
Does Plastic Impact Our Hearts? — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
In February you will find hearts everywhere, but this month we focus on the most important heart: your own. In recent years, scientists are finding evidence that tiny pieces of plastics — called microplastics — may have significant impacts on heart health. Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than five millimeters, mostly formed as larger plastics break apart in the environment. They enter our body when we breathe, eat, and drink.
“Recycle” By Mail Is Not the Solution You Think It Is — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
At first glance, collecting and mailing back “hard-to-recycle” plastic packaging may seem like a good solution. Isn’t it better to do something with plastic packaging than to simply discard it? That’s exactly what “recycle”-by-mail companies are counting on: consumers and businesses that eagerly sign up for their programs because they feel badly about the waste.
Tell Leading Fashion Brands: STOP Making Kids' Clothes From Plastic — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Polyester is a type of plastic that's made from fossil fuels combined with chemical additives, some of which may well be toxic to humans. Polyester clothing also contributes to the growing microplastics pollution crisis. Dressing babies and children in clothing made from fabric that may be harmful to their health makes ZERO sense. Join us and our allies in calling on H&M, Carter's and The Children's Place to commit to reducing the use of polyester and other synthetic fibers in their products.
How Does Plastic Affect Our Hormones? — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution isn’t just an environmental problem, it’s also a human health issue. One of the most well-studied concerns involves chemicals that disrupt the body’s hormone system, known as the endocrine system. Many of these endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) — including phthalates, bisphenols, flame retardants, and PFAS — are found in plastics. But how do they actually affect our bodies?
Can I Recycle Wrapping Paper? — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
I want to begin by stating that you can and should REUSE wrapping paper for as long as possible. If you (and others in your family and friend group) are careful about how you open gifts, you can usually get it off in a single sheet with minimal tears that you can reuse - sometimes for years.
Why Should We Avoid Heating Plastic? — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
You may have heard that it’s best not to microwave plastic — but why not? To understand this, it helps to know what plastic is made of. Plastics are long chemical chains called polymers, combined with smaller molecules called “additives”, some of which may be harmful to our health. These additives are only loosely attached to the polymer chains. When plastic is heated, its molecules will move around more freely and the whole structure will become less rigid.
Why & How Are Chemicals Used in Plastic? — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Plastics are made from polymers, which are long chains of repeating molecules. But the final plastic product isn’t just the polymer. Plastic, as we know it, requires the addition of many added synthetic chemicals and would not exist without them. So far over 16,000 chemicals have been identified in plastics.
Bottle Caps Should Be ATTACHED To Reduce Plastic Pollution and Litter — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
One Solution: Require Attached Caps Attached caps (also called “tethered,” or “leashed” caps) are designed to keep the cap physically connected to the bottle after opening to prevent the caps from ending up as litter. Attachment mechanisms include hinges, straps, and fixed bands.
REPORT: Follow the Money: The David vs. Goliath Battle to Pass the New York Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act (A1749, S1464) — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Reducing plastic waste in New York has turned into a David vs. Goliath fight in Albany. On one side: communities, environmental advocates, local governments, and public health organizations fighting to reduce toxic plastic packaging, save taxpayer dollars, and hold corporations accountable.
16 zucchini recipes, email the Fed Chair, some good news + don't forget to breathe
Summer is drawing to a close. This time of year always fills me with low level grief as the loss of daylight, warmth, green, and expansiveness begins. But soon enough fall’s brilliant colors and crisp nights will take summer’s place, bringing brisk air, and cozy consolations like apple picking, making tasty stews and putting up the last of the harvest in neat, colorful jars in the pantry. I hope the end of summer is treating you kindly. Have a good long weekend.
Tell Trader Joe’s to Protect Consumers from Toxic Chemicals — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Trader Joe’s FLUNKED Toxic-Free Future's latest Retailer Ratings, receiving a big red "F" for their inaction on the many toxic chemicals and harmful plastics in their products and packaging. The company is falling behind competitors like Wholefoods, Costco, Amazon, Target, and Walmart, among others—and putting our health and environment at risk. Consumers deserve better.
Plastics Have Infiltrated the Human Brain — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
A February 2025 study indicated there may be far more plastics in human brains than previously thought — as much as a plastic spoon! — raising the alarm on this issue. What are microplastics and nanoplastics? Plastic waste never disappears; it just breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces. Microplastics are shards of plastic that are between 1 micrometer and 5 millimeters. Nanoplastics are smaller than 1 micron. These are the particles that can most easily enter the brain.
Plastics in Building Materials & Products — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Plumbing: (medium- or high-density polyethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), and CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) Siding: House wrap membrane () and PVC (vinyl siding and trim) Paint: Acrylic paints and polyurethanes Insulation: Expanded polystyrene foam insulation (EPS) and extruded polystyrene foam insulation (XPS) Flooring: Vinyl sheet flooring, luxury vinyl plank or tiling (PVC), and carpet (nylon, polypropylene, polyester, etc.) Countertops: Plastic laminates Windows and doors: PVC...
BOOK: The Problem with Plastics: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
“Plastic is a silent killer! ‘The Problem with Plastic’ exposes the harms of plastic and the plastic industry worldwide. From beginning to end, it outlines how plastics came into our lives and have been hurting us ever since.
BOOK: The Problem with Plastics: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
“Plastic is a silent killer! ‘The Problem with Plastic’ exposes the harms of plastic and the plastic industry worldwide. From beginning to end, it outlines how plastics came into our lives and have been hurting us ever since.
Prevent Microplastic Pollution with the Fighting Fibers Act of 2025 — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Scientists estimate that millions of tons of microfibers enter the ocean every year—making textiles the largest known source of marine microplastic pollution. The Fighting Fibers Act of 2025 introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) in late July of 2025 focuses on one of the most significant sources of this pollution: our laundry.
Detergent Pods & Sheets Made with PVA Are PLASTIC — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
What is PVA? PVA stands for Polyvinyl Alcohol, a synthetic, petroleum-based plastic polymer that is used as a film wrap for laundry and dishwasher detergent pods, and in the material used in laundry detergent sheets. How long has PVA been around for? Plastic laundry detergent sheets were introduced in 2009 and plastic laundry detergent pods made their debut on U.S. retail shelves in 2012. How widespread is PVA and what are the concerns?
2 great green sauces, good news from NYC + beyond, an easy way to help immigrant + refugee families | 7/5/2025
I hope you’re enjoying a long weekend filled with yummy food, good weather, and fun with your loved ones. 🎆🗽 Speaking of yummy food, 👇scroll down for two herb-powered green sauces that will help take your summer meals to 11. 🌿 Trump’s Hideous Cruel Budget Bill passed late last week. Does holding a moment of silence to acknowledge all the suffering this legislation will cause seem appropriate to you, too?
Reduce Your Exposure to Microplastics — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
These little pieces of plastic are everywhere — in the air, in your drinking water, in the ocean, in streams and lakes, in the soil, in all kinds of animal and plant-based proteins including chicken, beef, seafood, tofu, and more, in beer, in bottled water, in table salt, in your dryer’s lint filter, in sea birds’ stomachs, and in the human heart, lungs, kidneys, placenta, blood, and more.
Showing up tomorrow is CRITICAL, not optional
Yesterday, Democratic Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a press conference in the federal building in Los Angeles, thrown to the ground, and roughly handcuffed after he said “I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the Secretary” during a press conference in which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem doubled down on the Trump administration’s aggressive use of the National Guard in Los Angeles to “support” ICE arrests. Watching this footage chilled me.
Strawberry Pannacotta, "NO KINGS" on 6/14, Great Murder Mystery, & More
It’s strawberry season at my house and our little patch is putting out the most intensely strawberry-flavored strawberries that we’re trying to get to before the chipmunks reach them. Scroll down for a recipe for scrumptious pannacotta with fresh strawberries. 🍓 Last night, we finished watching The Residence on Netflix and I loved its Knives Out-esque nature and charismatic main character played by Uzo Aduba.
3 Perfect Picnic Spots in the Hudson Valley
The chilly weather has faded for the year in the Hudson Valley, and that means it's time yet again to dine alfresco. There's no better way to enjoy a meal outside than with a picnic at one of these hotspots that boast scenic views. For an added bonus, incorporate local fare to get a true taste of the region. Before you set out, we have a few suggestions to help ensure your picnic goes off without a hitch.
REPORT: Projected Economic Benefits of the NY Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
New York's Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) (Assembly Bill 1749 / Senate Bill 1464) offers a solution to New York State’s growing packaging waste crisis: an opportunity to reduce packaging waste by 30%, cut down the use of toxic chemicals in packaging, and improve recycling rates across the state.
Home Depot: Stop Selling PVC Plastic — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Polyvinyl chloride (aka PVC or vinyl) is a common plastic that's made from the chemical vinyl chloride -- a known human carcinogen that's associated with liver, brain, blood, and lung cancers. This toxic chemical has polluted communities and sickened residents in Louisiana, Texas, and, most recently, East Palestine, Ohio after it was burned following the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment disaster.
As Vice President Vance Tours Michigan Plastics Plant, Beyond Plastics Offers Additional Destinations to Add to His Visit — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution Original
For Immediate Release: March 14, 2025 Contact: Melissa Valliant, Beyond Plastics — melissavalliant@bennington.edu, (410) 829-0726 Judith Enck, Beyond Plastics — judithenck@bennington.edu, (518) 605-1770 Today, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Small Business Administration administrator Kelly Loeffler are touring plastics manufacturer Vantage Plastics in Bangor Township, Michigan.
Legislation to Curb Plastic Pollution and Save Taxpayers Money Passes Senate Environmental Conservation Committee — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
For Immediate Release: March 11, 2025 Contact: Marissa Solomon, marissa@pythiapublic.com,(734) 330-0807 ALBANY, N.Y. — Today, the New York State Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee passed the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464 Harckham / A1749 Glick) after the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee passed the bill last week.
New Version of a 1990 Packaging Waste Report Shows the Problem Has Only Persisted 35 Years Later — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Many more examples of today’s excessive single-use plastic packaging: Bananas in plastic bags Potatoes in plastic bags Every other fruit or vegetable sold in plastic bags or plastic wrap Six-pack plastic rings (instead of cardboard) Eggs encased in polystyrene instead of cardboard cartons Large plastic bags of chips, crackers, etc.
Legislation to Curb Plastic Pollution & Save Taxpayers Money Passes Assembly EnCon Committee — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
For Immediate Release: March 4, 2025 Contact: Marissa Solomon, marissa@pythiapublic.com,734-330-0807 ALBANY, NY | 3/4/25 — Today, the New York State Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee voted 22-8 to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A1749 Glick / S1464 Harckham).
Ready, Set, Don't Shop!
Happy Hump Day, y’all. I hope your weeks are going well. I’m grateful for the warmer temperatures after last week’s brutal cold and there’s more good news below. 🌞Here comes the sun! We’re gaining 3 minutes of additional daylight per day - woot. In March, that adds up to 20 minutes more sunlight each week. Spring is coming and I definitely feel it. Do you? ✊ The opposition to Operation Musky Rump is growing—both within the US and abroad. Read this encouraging update from .
Do something by buying NOTHING on 2/28, popovers & potato leak soup, & 3 helpful/hopeful updates
Hi folks, I hope everyone’s week is going well in spite of what’s happening at the federal level. It was so nice to see the news about Monday’s protests and the next civic action is even easier. You don’t have to go anywhere or do anything to participate in next Friday, February 28’s Economic Blackout Day.
Single-Use Plastic Water Bottles - a Bad Choice By Every Measure — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Single-use water bottles are a huge problem. Single-use plastic water bottles are clogging the world’s oceans, rivers, streets, and landfills; they’re poisoning the air when they're burned in incinerators or processed in “chemical recycling” facilities; they’re contributing to microplastic contamination of the environment and human bodies; and they’re emitting greenhouse gases that speed climate change.
Pull Up Your Shirt, It's Time To Reflect
Hi friends, Thank you for being here. I realize there are so many demands on your time and attention and I’m truly honored that you’ve stopped by. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” You’ve probably seen this quote on a mug or poster attributed to Albert Einstein but it’s actually from the book Sudden Death bycivil rights campaigner and feminist writer Rita Mae Brown—yet another example of a man being given credit for something done by a woman.
Your Orders for the Weekend
Yesterday, my mom forwarded an email with this image in it. It really resonated. After all the letter writing and canvassing and the many months of anxiety leading up to Tuesday, followed by this deluge of emotions—deep sadness, fear, hope, love, terror, confusion—I really don’t feel ready to jump right back into organizing. But that’s okay.
REPORT | Vinyl Chloride: The Poison That Makes The Plastic — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
TAKE ACTION We need your help to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban vinyl chloride, the human carcinogen that’s used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic. Vinyl chloride is manufactured in low-income communities and communities of color in Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky, where it threatens the health of local residents.
Beyond Plastics Announces New Staff Person to Work With Faith Communities in Fighting Plastic Pollution — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
“We are excited to welcome Kathryn to our team of dedicated experts, and we look forward to collaborating with religious institutions of all faiths in the fight against plastic pollution,” said Beyond Plastics president and former EPA regional administrator Judith Enck. “There is a robust landscape of faith-based organizations working on environmental solutions.
REPORT: Demystifying Compostable and Biodegradable Plastics — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution
NEWS RELEASE New Report Reveals Challenges of ‘Biodegradable’ and ‘Compostable’ Plastic, Provides Guide to Choosing Best Products Corresponding Checklist Offers Consumers and Businesses Easy Way to Determine if Bioplastics Products Are Worthy Plastic Alternatives For Immediate Release: July 11, 2024 Contact: Melissa Valliant, Beyond Plastics — melissavalliant@bennington.edu, (410) 829-0726 Beyond Plastics released a report evaluating bioplastic materials currently on the market, the voluntary...
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