Thank you from Plastic Free!
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2023 at a Glance
With your support, Plastic-Free MKE has had an incredible year! Thanks to our volunteers, Plastic-Free MKE attended over 30 events, over half of which were Refill Stations! The Refill Station program prevented 4,343 single-use water bottles and distributed 717 reusable water bottles to community members. In partnership with the Sherman Park Community Association, Plastic-Free MKE hosted a Stuff Swap event in May, and a Clothing Swap with the Urban Ecology Center and Bublr Bikes in October. To commemorate the 5th year anniversary of Plastic-Free MKE, we hosted a Plastic-Free Party at South Shore Park to come together and celebrate how much the coalition has grown! Our Lake Friendly Business program grew to include Xylem, our first Lake Friendly Offices! We are proud to announce that Amaranth Bakery & Cafe, Goodkind Brewing, Odd Duck, and Crafty Cow have been verified this year as Lake Friendly as well! This year also saw Milwaukee County make changes to their vendor contracts, requiring businesses run on County properties to significantly reduce their use of plastic products. Thank you to all of our volunteers, coalition members, Lake Friendly businesses and neighborhoods for your commitment to being Plastic-Free and making a healthier, more sustainable Milwaukee!
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Explore: Plastic Pollution Coalition Holiday Gift Guide
Looking for last minute gift ideas? Consider the businesses from the Plastic Pollution Coalition's Holiday Gift Guide. It has over 20 options that all have unique discount codes for choosing plastic-free gifts. Each business listed is a coalition business partner of the Plastic Pollution Coalition and have committed to being plastic-free.
Explore Here
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Take Action: Support the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act
The Ocean Conservancy is working hard to get petition signatures to call on Congress to keep microplastics out of the oceans. Microplastics and nurdles affect the wildlife and health of the ocean harming the ecosystem and perpetuating the effects of climate change. Taking a small step to sign the petition or call on your legislators for support will help the Ocean Conservancy's efforts to break free from plastic pollution.
Sign the Petition
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Watch: Beyond Plastics Webinar: Chemical Recycling, a dangerous deception
Recently, Beyond Plastics created a report with the IPEN (International Pollutants Elimination Network) that takes an in depth look at "chemical recycling." Chemical "recycling" is often called "advanced recycling" which is a processes using high heat, pressure, and solvents to break plastic into gases, chemical oils, and tars or waxes that release toxic substances. This is highly toxic, energy-intensive, and a technological mess. To learn more and discover what Beyond Plastics is doing to prevent further advances in chemical recycling watch their webinar explaining the report, Chemical Recycling: A Dangerous Deception.
Watch Here
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Support: Visit Plastic-Free MKE's Lake Friendly Businesses!
Are you tired of cooking for extended family? Take your family, loved ones, friends, or partners to Lake Friendly Businesses this holiday season. Many of them offer unique menus and specialty drinks this month! Supporting local businesses is a great way to be involved with the community, and they are reducing their plastic use!
Support Local
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How Adidas, Asics, and other shoemakers deal with waste
“More than 50 billion shoes are made every year. The biggest manufacturers, like Nike, Adidas, and Asics, make them durable enough to run hundreds of miles. But this also makes them incredibly expensive and difficult to recycle. Now, one Dutch company, FastFeetGrinded, has developed a method to combat waste while the industry searches for more sustainable materials."
Watch Here
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European Union nations reach major breakthrough to stop shipping plastic waste to poor countries
"The EU will finally assume responsibility for its plastic waste by banning its export to non-OECD countries,” said Pernille Weiss, the EU Parliament rapporteur. “Once again, we follow our vision that waste is a resource when it is properly managed, but should not in any case be causing harm to the environment or human health.”
Read the full article
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Thread carefully: your gym clothes could be leaching toxic chemicals
“In short, oily substances in our sweat “help the bad chemicals to come out of the microplastic fibers and become available for human absorption”, says Dr Mohamed Abdallah, an associate professor in environmental science at the University of Birmingham, and the principal investigator of the study."
Read the full article
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New EPA Rule a Step Forward for “Filtered Not Bottled” Water, More Amendments Needed
"...the Filtered Not Bottled campaign has been pushing for the inclusion of language to proactively recommend the distribution point-of-use filters to impacted households within the LCRI. The newly drafted rule requires water systems with consistently high levels of lead to make available to customers filters certified to remove lead from water, rather than single-use water bottles. This is a very significant step forward."
Read the full article
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Coalition Member Spotlight
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Wisconsin Sea Grant: Wisconsin Sea Grant is dedicated to preserving the health of our Great Lakes. Through education, research, and outreach Wisconsin Sea Grant works towards a sustainable, thriving community that cares for their water and coasts. They work with water scientists to provide reliable and digestible science about the Great Lakes to the community, giving them the tools and skillset to reach multiple people. Wisconsin Sea Grant has multiple focus areas such as water quality, emerging contaminants, aquaculture, mapping, and social science which works on improving education and outreach communications. They have also focused on plastic education in collaboration with Milwaukee Riverkeeper to help support the mission of Plastic-Free MKE. Contact Dr. Deidre Peroff, dmperoff@aqua.wisc.edu, for more information or check out their website here.
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