How much food waste does America create and what can we do about it?
America generates up to 1,000 pounds of food waste per person each year, enough to feed millions. Simple policy changes could help.
Recycling & compost
To reduce waste, conserve natural resources and address the mounting climate crisis, America needs more recycling and composting.
The Latest on Recycling & compost
Are some recycling labels misleading? Unfortunately, yes.
Trash Talk’: Students discuss solutions to plastic pollution
Featured Resources
Products without packaging: How refill stores can help solve the plastics crisis
Reducing plastic waste in the states
Trash in America
Forty-Seven State Legislators call on Whole Foods to put Planet over Plastic
The Latest
Statement: Target’s new plastic packaging goal is a step in the right direction
The Fortune 50 retailer Target announced a new goal Tuesday to reduce its use of virgin plastic 20 percent by 2025 across its own brand frequency products. It is part of a new sustainability strategy called Target Forward and covers such key categories as household cleaning, personal care and beauty.
Lawmakers and public push Whole Foods to put “Planet Over Plastic” at upcoming annual meeting
AUSTIN, Texas -- U.S. PIRG Education Fund , Environment America Research & Policy Center, and Student PIRG sent 59,000 petitions and a letter signed by more than 40 state lawmakers Thursday to Whole Foods urging the company to commit to a comprehensive plan for phasing out single-use plastic packaging from its stores. This follows a March 2021 letter signed by more than 130 advocacy and community groups calling on the national supermarket chain to adopt a bold response to the plastic pollution crisis.
Cross-country virtual road trip puts fight against plastic pollution on the map
DENVER — U.S. PIRG and Environment America hosted a virtual road trip Friday with state representatives and senators from across the country to celebrate and discuss dozens of policies to combat the plastic pollution crisis. The nationwide rally touched on efforts to hold companies, such as Whole Foods, accountable for their contribution to the problem, as well as highlighting groundbreaking federal legislation such as the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act.
Plastic waste solutions hiding in plain sight: Recycled content requirements
This blog is the second in a series examining policy solutions to the plastic pollution crisis that are proven and replicable. This section covers recycled content requirements.
Nation’s strongest plastic waste bill returns to Congress
In response to the worsening plastic waste crisis, federal lawmakers and advocates are championing legislation to cut our nation's plastic footprint down a size.