November Plastic News

Working to reduce plastic use in Missouri

"The Great Rivers State"

We can break free from plastic, Missouri!

As you shop for the holidays this year, consider plastic-free purchases and ways to help your family and friends make the switch away from plastic!

Here's our November Plastic Awareness news!

How can YOU reduce your personal use of plastic?

Purchase your eggs in paper cartons instead of foam cartons, when available, and consider purchasing farm fresh eggs!
Use bar soap to wash your dishes instead of dish soap in a plastic bottle.
Purchase tortilla chips that are packaged in paper bags instead of plastic bags.
Switch to reusable cloth rags instead of paper towels to clean-up household messes. Reduced use of paper towels results in less trash and fewer trash bags needed!
Use matches instead of lighters encased in plastic.

Plastics in the News

Ditch Black Plastic in Your Kitchen

Outside

Fair warning: if you invite me to dinner at your house and I spy a black plastic spatula in the utensil canister...

Personal Care Products During Pregnancy Increases Exposure to PFAS

The Hill

The use of certain personal care products during pregnancy or lactation may be linked to increased levels of "forever chemicals" in both blood plasma and breast milk...

Global Plastic Treaty Deadline Approaches

Inside Climate News

Two years in, delegates from more than 175 countries working to craft a global plastics pollution treaty remain widely divided.

Food and Cosmetics with a Side of Plastic? Yum!

The Hill

Food and cosmetics from dozens of major retailers come wrapped in potentially dangerous plastics, a new report has found.

Are Bio-based Plastics Better than Conventional Plastics? The Worms say No.

Morning Ag Clips

Such materials are increasingly being advocated as environmentally friendly alternatives to plastics, and used in textiles and products including...

Can Mushrooms Replace Plastics?

Mongabay

Mycologists believe the solution to some of our biggest pollution issues is under our feet. Humble fungi are now being used as...

Our Planet is Choking on Plastic

UN Environmental Program

While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become addicted to single-use plastic products - with severe environmental, social, economic and health consequences.

Recent Research

Making invisible chemicals used in plastic materials visible

November 2024

A large body of evidence now supports adverse health effects of exposure to chemicals ubiquitously used in common plastic materials.

Associations of pre- and postnatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure with adolescents' eating behaviors

2024

Pre- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that have been used in industry and consumer products...

Environmental triggers and future risk of developing autoimmune diseases: Molecular mechanism and network toxicology analysis of bisphenol A

November 2024

The global appetite for plastic products has justifiably marked the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as the "Plastic Age"...

Relationship between per-fluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure and insulin resistance in nondiabetic adults: Evidence from NHANES 2003-2018

November 2024

Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in the global prevalence of chronic metabolic diseases...

Dietary bisphenols exposure as an influencing factor of body mass index

October 2024

The prevalence and incidence of overweight and obesity worldwide have increased significantly in the last three decades.

From e-waste to living space: Flame retardants contaminating household items add to concern about plastic recycling

October 2024

Plastics can consist of a complex mixture of monomers, unreacted intermediates, and additives such as dyes, fillers, antioxidants, flame retardants (FRs)...

Webinars & Videos to Watch

December 3 at 6:00PM - BYO - US Reduces Meetin g hosted by BYO - US Reduces

December 4 at 5:10PM - The Future of Plastics: Reducing Waste and Rethinking Materials (virtual component) hosted by Newsweek

December 4 at 6:00PM - Fighting Artificial Turf in New Jersey hosted by the NJ Chapter of Sierra Club

December 6 at 12:30PM - Climate Conversations: Reimagining Household Products hosted by National Academies

December 9 at 12:00PM - Behind the Scenes at EPA - What's done wrong and what does it mean for our work? hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency

December 10 at 12:00PM - EPA Trash Free Waters: Escaped Trash Risk Map hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency

December 11 at 11:00AM - State of the Science: Shaping a Global Plastics Treaty hosted by the 5 Gyres Institute

December 12 at 4:00PM - Policy Matters: Tracking Plastic Laws After Global Treaty Negotiations hosted by the Plastic Pollution Coalition

January 22 at 6:00PM - Gamechanger: California Sues ExxonMobil Over Plastic Recycling Lies hosted by Beyond Plastics

Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D., is one of the world’s leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologists and a professor of environmental medicine and public health. Her work examines the impact of environmental exposures, including chemicals such as phthalates and Bisphenol A, on men’s and women’s reproductive health and the neurodevelopment of children.

Check out this informative video to learn more about Dr. Swans research and findings.

November Spotlights

Plastic-Free Product Highlight

For many people. the holiday season usually means gatherings with loved ones, exchanging gifts, and enjoying meals. This year, consider making a simple switch in your kitchen and replace your plastic cooking utensils with wooden or stainless steel alternatives!

Book of the Month

Our Stolen Future: Are We Threatening Our Fertility, Intelligence, and Survival? - A Scientific Detective Story by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers examines the interferences of certain synthetic chemicals with hormonal messages involved in the control of growth and development.

Plastic Podcast Pick

It's no surprise that healthcare plastics are a significant portion of our plastic consumption in the US, and innovating in the healthcare space can be very challenging. In this episode of Upstream's "The Plastic Free Pharmacy" podcast, President and Co-founder of Cabinet Health, Russell Gong, discuss these challenges, as well as opportunities and metrics for eliminating plastic in medicine.

Movie of the Month

In the 54-minute documentary, "Plastic Wars", FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the fight over the future of plastics