Your mission:
Ask your federal government representatives to co-sponsor the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (BFFPPA).
Why?
The BFFPPA is one of the first pieces of national legislation that would address plastic pollution by getting at the roots of the problem. Tell our politicians that you care about solving the problems with plastics, and ask them to represent you by co-sponsoring this bill.
What you need to know:
The BFFPP Act is sponsored by Congressman Allan Lowenthal from California and Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon.
This bill would do a lot to address the root problems of plastic pollution by:
- Making the companies that produce and sell plastics pay for recycling, cleanup and waste management (right now local governments and tax payers pay for this);
- Improving recycling and composting infrastructure in the US;
- Phasing out certain single-use plastic products that aren’t recyclable;
- Making sure products use at least a certain amount of recycled plastic;
- Launching a national beverage container refund program to bolster recycling rates;
- Temporarily pausing new and expanding plastic facilities until the EPA updates and creates vital environmental and health regulations to protect frontline and fenceline communities;
- Prohibiting plastic waste from being exported to developing countries;
- And more!
What to do:
Check out the Break Free From Plastic website for additional information and tools to spread the word. You’ll be able to see how the national movement around this policy campaign is taking shape and have access to a social media toolkit to help spread the word!
What to watch out for:
Feel free to do this Action with a parent or guardian so that you don’t need to use your own contact info. That will also give you a chance to talk to your family and friends about the issues you care about.
Tips:
If you’d like to add a sentence or two to explain more about why you support the bill, you may do so. Sharing a short personal story or anecdote, or a personal reason for why you support the bill will make your message stand out.
You may also share this tool with friends, family, or others you know to gather more support! The website will guide you through that process.
Track Your Contribution To Solving Plastic Pollution:
Use this digital tool to contact your congressional representatives and ask them to support this bill. You’ll need to put in a name, email, and address, then you will be automatically guided to send an email to all of your representatives. Don’t forget to end the letter with a thank you, and your name!
Submit 1 Action Hour for approval: complete the form below.
Take a screenshot of the green page that comes up when you’ve completed your letter, and upload it below.
This Action was created in collaboration with Break Free From Plastic.
Cover image photo credit: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.
Where to next?
Explore the lessons and actions that build off this one to continue on your journey to address the plastic problem!
Attend a City Council Meeting
Get your local community and government to support of the BFFPP Act components.
Engage with a Local Politician
Talking with a politician about your concerns with plastics can be even more powerful, especially with a strong message.