July is Plastic Free!

More than 2,000 animal species have encountered plastic pollution in their environment, and nearly 90% of species specifically studied are known to be negatively affected.

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The Plastic Free Foundation is a not-for pro t global social movement of over 100 million people that stops around 300 million kgs of plastic polluting the world each year.

There is a strong connection between environmental and social injustice, racism, and classism and exposure to air pollution caused by waste incineration, land lls and illegal dumps; industrial water and soil contamination; heightened risk of accidents and explosions; and myriad other environmental injustices in the US and globally.

By 2040, under a business-as-usual scenario, plastic waste generation is expected to double, plastic leakage into the ocean will triple, and levels of plastic pollution in the ocean will quadruple.

By 2050, plastic production and disposal could generate greenhouse-gas emissions equivalent to 615 coal plants annually and use up to 13% of Earth’s remaining carbon budget.

Sources:

Lokanoglu, Ender Ergün-Hakan.“Rising Tides II - Public Opinion Overwhelmingly Supports Global Rules to End Plastic Pollution.” Plastic Free July, November 2022. https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/12/RISING-TIDESII_2022_v4-WEB.pdf.

The total social, economic and environmental costs of all plastic produced in 2019 have been estimated at $3.7 trillion over its lifetime.

Many wild animals mistake plastic for food, and in nature they must navigate a dangerous plastic obstacle course. Once ingested, plastic items and particles can inflict deadly physical injuries on animals’ digestive tracts, including perforation of stomach and intestinal walls.

Ninety-nine percent of all plastics are made from petrochemicals derived from fossil fuels—gas, oil, and coal—and drive the climate crisis.

“Read the Global Opinions Report: UNEA Plastic Treaty.” Plastic Free July, December 2, 2022. https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/ campaigns/un-plastic-treaty/.