Working to reduce plastic use in Missouri

"The Great Rivers State"

We can break free from plastic, Missouri!

Get ready to mark your calendars! This month’s plastics newsletter is packed with can’t-miss events and webinars, top news, cutting-edge research, a noteworthy sustainable brand, and a podcast you’ll love.

Here's our April Plastic Awareness news!

Upcoming Events

Saturday, May 3

11:00 AM -12:30 PM

St. Louis County Library - Clark Family Branch

Beyond Plastics MO/WI is hosting a FREE screening of the award-winning documentary, Microplastic Madness.

Register here!

Monday, May 12

6:00 - 7:30 PM

Virtual

Join us for the FIRST Show-Me Less Plastic Networking meeting.

We will share information on forming local Beyond Plastic local groups, facilitate conversation and networking, and provide resources and next steps to move forward with confidence.

Register here or scan the QR code below!

Saturday, June 21

10:00 AM - 1:30 PM

St. Louis County Library - Parkview Branch

Registration is OPEN for our next Advocacy Workshop in St. Louis! Dive into the state of the plastics crisis and learn how community-level grassroots organizing can make a difference!

Register here!

How can YOU reduce your personal use of plastic?

1. A single tea bag releases over a billion microplastics into your beverage. Ditch the tea bags and switch to loose leaf tea. There are many small businesses in Missouri that sell loose leaf!
2. If there's one near you, shop at bulk stores with your own paper bags.
3. Consider buying your milk in glass jars! Most have a refundable deposit when you return the container. 
4. Compost your trash to reduce your use of plastic trash bags.
5. Make your own mayonnaise with just a few ingredients and store it in a glass jar! Here's a recipe.

Plastics in the News

Recent Research

Upcoming Webinars and Trainings

May 1 at 1:00PM - Part 2 – MRFs: Unpacking the mystery of recycling’s magical “black boxes” hosted by The Recycling Partnership

May 1 at 6:00 PM - How Plastics Can Harm Brain Health hosted by the Beyond Plastics Virtual Group

May 8 at 1:00 PM - Part 3 – End Markets: If recyclables have nowhere to go, are they really recyclables? hosted by The Recycling Partnership

May 14 at 6:30 PM - WASS Zero Waste Task Force hosted by the Westchester Alliance for Sustainable Solutions

May 15 at 1:00 PM - Part 4 –Recycling by Design: Exploring definitions, policies, and the road ahead hosted by The Recycling Partnership

May 15 at 6:00 PM - Microplastics’ Impact on the Brain & Heart hosted by Beyond Plastics

May 22 at 1:00 PM - Part 5 – Policy: Shaping the future of recycling hosted by The Recycling Partnership

June 3 at 6:00 PM - BYO - US Reduces Meeting: Guest Speaker: Urban Ore's Mary Lous Van Deventer and Dan Knapp hosted by BYO US Reduces

April Spotlights

Sustainable Brand Highlight

Ahimsa's stainless steel dishes are doctor-designed with children's health in mind as an alternative to disposable plastic food ware in homes, restaurants, and schools. Check out the collection!

Book of the Month

How to Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum is a practical guide to reducing plastic use at home and beyond. It offers simple tips, eye-opening facts, and ways to advocate for change—showing how everyone can help fight plastic pollution.

Plastic Podcast Pick

In Case You Missed It

March 20 - Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 2 - Distribution of Microplastics in the Environment and Human Exposure Pathways hosted by National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine

March 20 - Grasping at Straws: Policy Solutions for Safe Drinking Water hosted by Plastic Pollution Coalition

March 26 - Impacts of Fracking in North & South America: Resources in English & Spanish hosted by the Collaborative for Health and Environment

March 26 - Women Championing Zero Waste hosted by Just Zero

April 3 - Moms Annual Summit on Plastics: A Health Crisis in Plain Sight hosted by Moms Clean Air Force

April 3 - Plastic Building Materials and Better Options with Meg Wilcox hosted by the Beyond Plastics Virtual Group

April 7 - Handling PFAS from a Compliance and Enforcement Perspective hosted by Environmental Law Institute

April 9 - Zero Waste Task Force: When an Incinerator Malfunctions hosted by the Westchester Alliance for Sustainable Solutions

April 10 - Reuse by design: Scaling circular packaging solutions through systems innovation hosted by Innovation Forum

April 10 - Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 3 - The Potential Hazards to Human Health and The Environment from Microplastics and the Complexity of Assessing Risks hosted by National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine

April 16 - 2025 Harkin on Wellness Symposium hosted by Harkin Institute

April 16 - This is Your Brain on Plastic: What You Need to Know About Plastics & Health hosted by Plastic Pollution Coalition

April 18 - Perspectives on the Plastics Lifecycle: Plastic Pollution and Fate hosted by National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine

April 23 - Discover the Global Deposit Dashboard hosted by Reloop

Connect with Our Team!

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!

Check out our plastics website at: https://www.streamteamsunited.org/show-me-less-plastic.html

Follow us on