Plastic-Free July: Who’s Helping?
Written By: Jacqueline Omdara, Research by: Caitlin Anne Furgal, Can Atacan, Jaden Noronha, & Veronica Guglietti
In honour of Plastic-Free July, we wanted to recognize a few of the many non-profit organizations that commit themselves to live in a world that recognizes the impacts of single-use plastics. Many of these organizations have accomplished great goals through their various projects and continue to be resilient in our world.
The Story of Stuff
History
- Founded in 2007 by Annie Leonard through her animated online documentary called “The Story of Stuff”.
- Encourages over 1 million people globally to engage in environmental issues.
Focus
The focus of The Story of Stuff is about how we consume irresponsibly — we consume too many items, the items we consume are toxic to the environment, and we don’t share/conserve our resources.
Notable Facts
- Youtube channel with 186k subscribers and over 50 million views online.
- Offers various approaches to sustainability, through community engagement, local projects, educational resources, etc.
The Plastic Free Foundation
History
The Plastic Free Foundation started as the Plastic Free July Initiative founded by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz from her home in 2011 but quickly grew to become the Plastic Free Foundation which is now an independent, not-for-profit charity.
Focus
The Plastic Free Foundation’s focus is to encourage people around the world to limit their use of plastic. Their biggest initiative is the Plastic Free July campaign which is a month-long challenge which encourages people to abstain from buying and using single-use plastics.
Notable Facts
- They are the creators of Plastic-Free July
- After 11 years, Plastic Free July has reduced global demand by 2.3% of all bottled water, 3.1% of all fruit and vegetable packaging, 4.0% of all plastic straws.
- Partners with companies such as Brita, 1% for the planet, and Ecolateral.
Pela
History
-Founded in 2008 by Canadian Jeremy Lang after seeing his son dig up plastics on a beach in Hawaii.
- Released their first 100% compostable phone case for sale in 2011, made using their own material Flaxstic™, a combination of biopolymers and flax straw.
Focus
Pela strives toward a waste free future by producing everyday products from sustainable materials. They began by selling sustainable phone cases and has since expanded to products for other tech accessories. They now have plans to develop more sustainable everyday products in the future. The Pela 360 program allows customers to send in their old phone cases regardless of brand or material to be upcycled, composted, or properly recycled.
Notable Facts
- Certified B Corporation
- Certified Climate Neutral
- Members of 1% for the planet
Plastic Pollution Coalition
History
Plastic Pollution Coalition was founded by Manuel Maqueda, Daniella Russo, Lisa Boyle, and Dianna Cohen in October 2009 in the U.S. They now have members from many countries around the world.
Focus
Plastic Pollution Coalition focuses on reducing plastic pollution through advocating for policy and systemic change.
Notable Facts
- Endorsed by celebrities such as Jeff Bridges.
- Petitions for legislation such as the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, and petitions against companies like Amazon.
Sources
- https://www.storyofstuff.org/about/
- https://www.youtube.com/c/StoryofStuff/about
- https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/
- https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/stories/nonprofits-fighting-plastic
- https://pelacase.ca/pages/our-story
- https://pelacase.ca/sustainability-strategy/manufacturing
- https://pelacase.ca/blogs/news/73528901-pela-case-joins-1-for-the-planet
- https://pelacase.ca/pages/pela-360
- https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/#
- https://theecologist.org/2010/apr/22/beyond-plastic-bags-stopping-plastic-pollution-source
