No More Plastic!

There are several ways you can help reduce the amount of plastic in our world.

• Join Beyond Plastics' National Starbucks Week of Action the week of September 28 to call out the company's massive plastic use - 3 billion plastic cups a year, or 5,000 a minute, just in the U.S. ! Demonstrate on Oct 3 against recyclables that aren't really recycled... and urge them to

  • Immediately stop deceiving the public about Starbucks cups being "widely recyclable"

  • Give employees the staffing and resources they need to follow Starbucks own “A Better Cup for All” policy, which says ALL customers who order inside company-owned stores are served in a reusable ceramic cup or glass. 

  • Implement a nationwide switch from plastic to paper-based to-go cups and lids, just like Starbucks has already done in more than 550 stores across 14 states.

    
    

• Join the Coalition for Plastic Reduction (CPR) CPR is a membership coalition of organizations, institutions, businesses and individuals committed to the vision of an Illinois free of plastic waste. If you are a member of an organization with a passion for ditching single-use plastics, join virtual coalition meetings on the third Wednesday of each month and get involved. Sign-On with Guidelines and Norms HERE.

  
  

Smart Everyday Swaps

• Ditch Plastic Bags: Keep reusable bags in your vehicle or by your door so you always have them on hand for grocery trips. Never place soft plastics or plastic bags in your Chicago Blue Cart or other Recycling bin, as they jam sorting machinery. 

• Manage Soft Plastics: Drop off clean, dry plastic films and grocery bags at participating local grocery store collection bins rather than throwing them in the trash. Target, Jewel, and others take them in.

• Avoid Foam and Single-Use Foodware: Say no to polystyrene foam containers and single-use plastic cutlery when ordering takeout.

• Ditch the Doggy Bag: Bring your own container if you think you might have leftovers.

Highlight Successes!

• Foam Free Business Stories. Help the Coalition for Plastic Reduction highlight success stories of businesses that don’t use polystyrene foam foodware as part of a lobbying initiative. Elevate the vision of an Illinois without foam foodware by sharing quotes/videos/stories from restaurants and other food service businesses that don’t use polystyrene foam foodware. Ideally, these stories will come from businesses throughout Illinois! Interested to learn more? Contact Emily at CPR

Let us know your ideas for reducing plastics! Email us here.