Ditch plastic packaging: Shop at your local refillery
A wave of new retail businesses are eliminating single-use plastic packaging entirely, showing us what a future with dramatically less plastic could look like.
Beyond plastic
America's plastic problem has gotten way out of hand.
Most of us diligently recycle, take reusable bags with us when we shop, and look for new ways to stop using so much single use plastic “stuff”. Our individual actions are necessary, but won’t be enough. The good news is that the momentum to move beyond plastic is growing. More states, communities and businesses are getting rid of plastic bags, foam containers and other plastic “stuff” we can live without.
The Latest on Beyond plastic
Too much of a good thing? The environmental downside of the “Stanley cup” craze.
A look back at what our unique network accomplished in 2023
Featured Resources
Reducing plastic waste in the states
Trash in America
10 steps Whole Foods can immediately take to reduce single-use plastic
Refill, Return, Reimagine: Innovative Solutions to Reduce Wasteful Packaging
Did you know?
In 2015, Americans landfilled or incinerated over 50 million tons of compostable waste. That is enough to fill a line of fully-loaded 18-wheelers, stretching from New York City to Los Angeles ten times.
What We're Doing
Increasing compost can quickly and efficiently decrease methane emissions in landfills and restore soil health.
The Latest
Progress or more of the same from top corporate plastic polluters?
For the third year in a row, the list of the largest plastic polluters in the world remains pretty much the same. According to the 2020 Brand Audit Report by Break Free From Plastic, the corporations responsible for polluting the greatest amount of plastic waste are, in order: The Coca-Cola Company; PepsiCo; Nestlé; Unilever; Mondelez International; Mars, Inc.; Procter & Gamble; Philip Morris International; Colgate-Palmolive; and Perfetti Van Melle.
Toxic chemicals in single-use plastics are harming human health
Plastic is a problem not just for our environment, but also for our health. Chemicals used to make plastics anti-microbial, flame retardant, and more, can be toxic.
New study outlines issues, case studies and remedies for U.S. recycling across the country
Recycling challenges vary across the country, but, overall, states are failing to both reduce unnecessary waste and adjust to a changing recycling landscape, according to a new study from U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America Research & Policy Center.
New report provides best practices for composting waste
Composting all organic waste -- including food scraps and yard trimmings -- could eliminate nearly one-third of all materials sent to landfills and trash incinerators across the United States. That’s according to Composting in America, a new report released today by U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Environment America Research and Policy Center and Frontier Group. The study outlines best practices for composting programs, which are critical for mitigating the negative impact of waste on the climate and public health.
Team
Park
Faye
Park
Executive Vice President; President, PIRG