Happy National Volunteer Month!
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Thank you, Plastic-Free Volunteers!
April is National Volunteer Month, and a time for us to recognize and express gratitude for all of the time and energy our volunteers give to the Plastic-Free MKE movement! Our volunteers attend community events all around Milwaukee to share our mission of reducing unnecessary plastics in our surrounding communities and keeping everyone safe from its harms. Even on the hottest of days, you can find our volunteers tabling, running refill stations, and even recruiting new Lake Friendly Businesses. Thank you for your dedicated advocacy and commitment - and also for your silly smiles and funny dances while being the scary Plastic Bag Monster.
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Register: MWC 2023 Water School
Milwaukee Water Commons is offering a Water School opportunity to volunteers who are interested in committing to a year-long process of water education training and developing a water-sustainability project to support Plastic-Free MKE. This program is meant to engage and inspire cross-city leadership on behalf of our common waters. If helping to define a future for Milwaukee's waters through training and research sounds interesting, please register, or watch this video to learn more!
Register Now
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Apply: KinnickInternship Program
Do you know an MPS high school student who is interested in the environment? Encourage them to apply for Sixteenth Street’s KinnickInternship Program! They’ll learn about the connection between health and our environment, meet experts in environmental fields, explore UWM’s School of Freshwater Science, and make a difference in their community, all while getting paid! Apply by April 15th, internship runs from June 5th – August 4th.
Apply Now
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Watch: Are Plastics a Threat to National Security?
Environmental Health Sciences founder and chief scientist, Pete Myers, explores how some chemicals, called obesogens, in plastics are linked to obesity and pose a threat to national security. The video is part of the "Ask Pete Anything" series, where readers can submit questions and Pete will give you an answer - or find someone to do so.
Watch Now
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Coalition Member Spotlight
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Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers has proudly cared for the residents of Milwaukee's south side for over 50 years! This essential community partner provides numerous services across their 9 locations - including medical health, behavioral health, and substance use care to residents. Through their innovative Department of Environmental Health & Community Wellness, they extend their reach beyond the clinic walls to address the environmental conditions that impact their clients' lives. These efforts include neighborhood revitalization, lead poisoning prevention, and environmental health education and stewardship along the Kinnickinnic River.
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What Will It Take to Give Babies a Phthalate-Free Start in the World?
"Feeding tubes, fluid bags, syringes, respiratory support tubes, intravenous lines, nasal cannulas, catheters, incubators – this is only a short list of the PVC medical supplies that assist in everything from eating, to breathing, to sleeping..."
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The Myth of Safe Plastics Persists, Despite Risk of Disasters Like East Palestine
"Despite these risks, global PVC usage is on an uptick, and its market is projected to grow. While the latest disaster has brought renewed attention to the dangers of vinyl chloride, the incident is but one symptom of a troubling larger trend..."
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Guess What? More Plastic Trash.
"Despite consumer concern, we are trashing more and more plastic. Plastics production continued to grow, according to industry data. So did plastic trash: 139 million metric tons in 2021, more than ever before. That’s a lot, especially considering that plastic entered our everyday lives after World War II."
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Inside Big Plastic's Faltering $1.5 Billion Global Cleanup Effort
"Almost four years since the Alliance to End Plastic Waste launched, its on-the-ground recycling is negligible compared to the new plastic produced by its core members, petrochemical companies."
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The Ohio Derailment Lays Bare the Hellish Plastic Crisis
"The core issue is that what’s put in plastics doesn’t stay in plastics. When a bag or bottle breaks apart, it releases its component chemicals as leachates. Heat and freezing also fragment any plastic into microplastics..."
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