Turning plastic waste into plastic lumber isn’t recycling
Most of Amazon’s plastic packaging isn’t being recycled, and some might end up as material for plastic decking instead.
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
A look back at what our unique network accomplished in 2023
PIRG’s warmest wishes for a safe and happy new year
Featured Resources
Truth in recycling
Products without packaging: How refill stores can help solve the plastics crisis
Reducing plastic waste in the states
Trash in America
The Latest
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.
Comprehensive bill calls for U.S. to move beyond plastic
WASHINGTON -- As plastic pollution becomes an increasingly dire problem, elected officials in both chambers of Congress introduced legislation Thursday to address the issue. On Capitol Hill today, Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (CA) unveiled the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021, a bill to improve the health of our people and our planet.
You can help us convince Coca-Cola to break free from plastic
The world’s top plastic polluter — for the third year in a row — is missing a huge opportunity to reduce its waste footprint.