|
Working to reduce plastic use in Missouri
"The Great Rivers State"
| | |
We can break free from plastic, Missouri!
With one month left in 2025, it’s a great time to reflect on your plastic reduction efforts and look ahead to new possibilities and opportunities. This month's plastic newsletter includes open registration for THREE 2026 events, plastic-free gift wrapping tips, national news highlights, fresh reports, and a great lineup of webinars to watch over the holidays. Maybe something here will spark a new idea!
Here's your November Plastic Awareness news!
| | |
January 19 - March 16: 2026 Plastic Learning Series
Join us for a series of FIVE plastic-specific presentations by excellent speakers from around the US! Each webinar will explore a different aspect of the plastic pollution problem. Whether you're just getting started in learning about plastic pollution or you're an active advocate, there will be something for everyone!
Register here!
| | | |
January 24: Community Advocacy Workshop - Jefferson City
Location: Runge Nature Center, 330 Commerce Dr, Jefferson City, MO 65109
Date: January 24, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Register here!
| | |
March 28: Community Advocacy Workshop - Northeast MO
Location: MW Boudreaux Memorial Visitor Center, 21629 Hwy J, Perry, MO 63462
Date: March 28, 2026
Time: 1:00 - 4:30 PM
See registration form for optional pre-workshop activities!
Register here!
| | |
November Event Recap
11/1 - Rosebud, MO - The Show-Me Less Plastic team hosted the 4th and final Community Advocacy Workshop of the 2025 calendar year at Earth's Classroom in Rosebud. Participants were very engaged and there were many valuable conversations, ideas, and connections formed (bottom left).
11/11-13 - Webster Groves, MO - Stori, Plastic Pollution Educator with the Missouri River Bird Observatory, visited 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at Bristol Elementary to teach about plastic pollution, including how plastic breaks down into micro- and nanoplastics, and led hands-on activities showing how much plastic enters the ocean every 30 seconds (bottom middle).
11/18 - Springfield, MO - Emily, Advocacy Outreach Coordinator, presented to the White River Group of the Sierra Club about the impacts of plastic pollution and the power of community organizing during a special meeting (bottom right).
| | 5 Tips for Plastic-Free Gift Wrapping | |
-
Replace conventional wrapping paper with kraft paper or paper shopping bags, which are recyclable and easy to decorate. Old maps, calendars, sheet music, or newspapers make creative alternatives, too.
-
Tote bags, scarves, bandanas, tea towels, or extra fabric scraps can be used to wrap gifts and become part of the present.
-
When possible, use glass jars, reusable tins, or baskets for a “two gifts in one” approach. These are great for homemade hot chocolate mixes, cookies, or baked good.
-
Jute, hemp, twine, or cotton string can replace plastic ribbon, and paper tape can stand in for plastic tape.
-
Handmade paper tags add a simple and eco-friendly, personal, and sentimental finishing touch.
| | | | |
PR Newswire
r.World, the U.S. leader in reusable foodware solutions, marks a major milestone with the elimination of 20 million single-use cups and foodware from landfills.
| | | | |
TIME
Each morning, millions of Americans press a single button for a hot cup of coffee. As much as they enjoy the instant comfort, it may have hidden health costs.
| | | | |
Delaware Currents
Recent volunteer cleanups at three sites in the Delaware River Basin organized by an environmental group not only collected 900 pounds of trash but also...
| | | | |
AP News
California ramped up its efforts to curb plastic pollution Friday — suing three plastic-bag makers, alleging the companies falsely claimed their products were recyclable.
| | | | |
November 2025
Over the past decade-plus, the sports, entertainment, and live events industry has searched for alternatives to single-use plastic in food concessions...
| | | | | |
November 2025
Plastic products are everywhere in daily life in the United States. Yet the economic, environmental and health costs of plastic to society reach up to $1.1 trillion per year—and that’s likely an underestimate...
| | | | |
October 2025
Environmental exposures are increasingly recognized as critical, yet underappreciated, determinants of reproductive, perinatal, and early childhood health...
| | | | |
October 2025
Plastic pipes are increasingly used in drinking water distribution systems, yet their impact on water quality remains insufficiently understood...
| | Upcoming Webinars and Trainings | | |
Sustainable Brand Highlight
Izzy Zero Waste Beauty is a sustainable beauty brand with innovative packaging and clean, cruelty-free ingredients. Their products contain 94% less plastic than leading brands, and their packaging is designed to be cleansed and refilled 10,000 times. Learn more here!
| | |
Plastic Podcast Pick
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging is gaining momentum in the US, with Washington being the 7th state to pass an EPR bill earlier this year. In this episode of the Indisposable Podcast: Incentivizing Reuse with Recycling Reform, hear from two decision makers who were influential in passing Washington's bill.
| | |
Book of the Month
Untangling Plastics by Bob Gedert investigates the manufacturing, use, and disposal of plastic products and the impacts on human and environmental health. Gedhert uses information from his current research and experiences from his 45-year career in the recycling industry to reveal what we all know: we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis.
| | |
Interested in being part of the solution to plastic pollution in Missouri? Fill out this brief interest form or scan the QR code to connect with our Plastics Team!
| | | | | |
