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Working to reduce plastic use in Missouri
"The Great Rivers State"
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We can break free from plastic, Missouri!
This month's plastic news is jam-packed with upcoming engagement opportunities, hot news and research, webinars worth tuning into, and an excellent September Spotlights. Events, information, and resources you won't want to miss.
Here's your September Plastic Awareness news!
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September 8 - November 30: FREE screenings of Microplastic Madness for Classrooms and Schools
Microplastic Madness is an uplifting, inspiring, award-winning documentary following the story of NYC 5th graders tacking plastic pollution in their school and community. Sign up here!
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October 25, 28, or 30: Beyond Plastics Grassroots Advocacy Trainings
Interested in forming a local group, adding more skills to your advocacy toolbox, or learning more about engaging in plastics advocacy? Register here for one of these free, two-hour long trainings!
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November 1: Community Advocacy Workshop
Location: Earth's Classroom, 3649 Pump Station Rd, Rosebud, MO 63091
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Registration is free and lunch is included.
Register today!
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October 25: Plastic Brand Audit
Join the Missouri River Bird Observatory in Jefferson City for a Plastic Brand Audit following Missouri River Relief's River Cleanup!
Location: Bannots Mill River Access
(see google map pin here)
Time: approx. 1:00 PM
Sign up here!
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September Recap
9/13 - Rolla, MO - Advocacy Outreach Coordinator, Emily, engaged with nature enthusiasts at the Audubon Trails Fall Festival, sharing information about plastic pollution and testing attendees knowledge on daily plastic waste.
9/14-15 - St. Charles, MO - Emily and Dana Ripper, Executive Director of Missouri River Bird Observatory, connected with local officials from across the state at the Missouri Municipal League Annual Conference to discuss plastics impact on communities and share solutions.
9/17 - Hartsburg, MO - Stori Smith, Plastic Pollution Educator with Missouri River Bird Observatory, presented to the Stream Teams United Paddle MO group on Day 5 of the Missouri River trip
| | 5 Tips to Reduce Plastic this Halloween | |
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Plan ahead for costumes and make your own! Use clothes and materials you have on hand, visit your local thrift stores, or borrow an old costume or pieces of a costume from someone you know.
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Have an old costume you don't plan to wear anymore? Consider donating it or host a community costume swap!
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Ditch plastic decorations and turn to nature. Choose pumpkins, hay bales, ornamental corn, homemade scarecrows, and more,
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Choose candy that's packaged in paper, or buy loose candy in bulk and package in paper. You can also offer non-candy treats, like crayons or pencils.
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For trick-or-treat, use a reusable bag or pillowcase instead of a plastic bucket.
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Cancer Cytopathology
In this first of a two-part series on early studies of microplastics and nanoplastics, researchers are finding numerous hints of health effects...
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WYFF4
North Carolina is the second state after California to ban the use of toxic chemicals in life-saving medical products.
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The Guardian
The surge in the use of disposable face masks during the Covid pandemic has left a chemical timebomb that could harm humans, animals and...
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US Right to Know
Cardiovascular disease—the world’s leading cause of death—is increasingly driven by polluted air, toxic chemicals, plastics, noise, and extreme temperatures...
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Chief Healthcare Executive
In the past, hospital and healthcare leaders haven’t always listed reducing waste as one of their top priorities. But...
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Trellis
Imagine a future where you can set reusable packaging out on your porch for collection, bring bottles back to the store to get a hefty deposit, and...
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September 2025
Mismanaged waste threatens the environment and human health. To better understand waste sources and impacts along recreation trails, we surveyed the entire 4,270 km Pacific Crest Trail...
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August 2025
Around the world, some 16 billion plastic syringes and 15 billion face masks are thrown away each year.1,2 Unknown in the first half of the 20th century...
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September 2025
Placental microplastic exposure has emerged as a potential environmental risk factor affecting fetal development. This study investigates the association between...
| | Upcoming Webinars and Trainings | | |
- Virtual 7 Week Course
- October 8 - November 19
- Wednesdays, 6-8PM
Register here!
Note: there is a fee to take this course
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Sustainable Brand Highlight
Kate McLeod's waterless moisturizing products made with clean ingredients allow them to reduce their carbon footprint and deliver sustainable products in plastic-free packaging. Check them out!
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Plastic Podcast Pick
This inspiring and uplifting episode of The Indisposable Podcast shares Local Reuse Initiatives from Ohio, Toronto, and Florida.
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Documentary to Watch
DuPont Poisoning The World, a BBC Documentary, dives into how 3M and DuPont exposed the entire world to a toxic chemical linked to cancer and birth defects.
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Book of the Month
How did plastic take over our lives? Consumed: How Big Brands Got Us Hooked on Plastic equips us to make better, informed choices about where to go next. Understanding the history is the first step to understanding the failed solutions and demanding better from plastic producers.
Check out this article from Mongabay to learn more about the story behind this book.
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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!
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