Philly Talks Trash: From Packaging to Pollution

It’s the annual season for gift giving and that time of year when the U.S. sees an almost 25% increase in waste. This is a bonanza for the packaging industry, a significant boost in demand for plastic products, and further rationale for the fossil fuel industry to continue fracking.

Join us virtually on Thursday, December 15, 6:30 - 8:00pm, for our next Philly Talks Trash Program, “From Packaging to Pollution,” a discussion led by experts who will provide a detailed look at how the fossil fuel industry is responsible for the huge rise in plastic manufacturing. We’ll discuss how this intentional strategy has affected the products we buy and led to overwhelming amounts of pollution on the streets in our local communities and in our local waterways. With a problem at this scale, we need everyone to act.

“From Packaging to Pollution” will offer specific actions to address the flood of plastic pollution. Our main speaker is Christina Cilento from Break Free From Plastic discussing the historical context for how society became so entrenched in plastic and how that feeds into recent trends and the fossil fuel industries in Pennsylvania today. We will then hear from Meghan Schulz from the sustainability department of SEPTA and Jake Bransky, Aquatic Biologist, Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). To close out the session we welcome Philadelphia entrepreneur Emily Rodia of Good Buy Supply to discuss plastic-free alternatives for everyday life.

Background

Philly Talks Trash is a monthly virtual program intended to educate and inspire Philadelphians to participate in the imperative shift towards a less wasteful society. A collaboration between the Philadelphia Neighborhood Networks’ Environment Action Committee and the Plastic Reduction Task Force of Weavers Way Co-op, this second season of Philly Talks Trash's monthly programs will draw connections between resolving the issues of waste with voting and taking action in the community. Recordings of the programs from our first season, Philly Talks Trash: A Virtual Series on Waste, are available in our program archive.

Schedule

February - Program to be announced

Program Archive

January "Re-thinking Waste: The Story of Plastic and the Circular Economy" • February "Food: Waste Reduction and Recovery" • March "Philly's Trash and Recycling Crisis" • April "Growing Circular Reuse Models in Foodservice and Grocery" • May "Incineration: Why Philly Needs to Stop Sending our Trash to Chester" • June "Managing Food Waste at Home" • July "Litter and Dumping (Fugitive Waste) • October "Your Vote Matters - 2022 Midterm Elections and the Environment"

Sponsors

Organizations are welcome to be listed in this announcement as a sponsor. Please contact wastereductionphl “at” gmail.com for details.