The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 is being considered by Congress.  It will only become law if a significant number of us from every district speak up as to why it is in the best interests of legislators to do so.  

Already many have taken the time to comment.  

Please add your voice to ours by writing a comment on our letter.

Here are just a few of the comments going to Washington from different states.  

Sometimes, it takes many voices speaking truth to power to be heard and understood.

Please join in our efforts by telling your take of the plastic problem, pathways to solutions, and objectives. You may reply below.  

What others are saying:

I care. Because I care. Thomas Moore, Houston TX

It’s imperative we protect our marine life and our health and that of our planet by reducing plastic. As we learned from COVID-19, we are ALL CONNECTED. Climate change and our treatment of Mother Earth and all living beings should not be some afterthought. It needs to be a priority.  Wanda Plucinski, Cranbury NJ

Single use plastic is wrong for so many reasons.  It kills fish, emits pollution when burned, doesn’t rot in landfills.  Causes cancer & hormone disruption in our youth.  Plastic covers our beaches.  It’s everywhere.  Americans need to overcome their plastic addiction and deal with reality. We’re learning “social distancing,” we can learn No Single Use Plastics. It would make me and the animal kingdom very happy. Sandra Cobb, Moreland Hills OH

The World is in a Plastic Pandemic!  There needs to be sweeping changes across the globe. Everyone must act now. Stand up and support the Plastics Pollution Bill. Imagine just being able to look around at the landscape and NOT SEE PLASTIC hanging from trees, covering roadsides, coating the banks of rivers and streams,and no longer washing up on our shores.  Marisa Reilly, Woodbridge VA

If it were law, I would be able to get products that I enjoy without the guilt of the waste that comes with them. My neighbors would be caring for the planet better without even trying. Cori Bishop, Egg Harbor City NJ

Time to change now! Severely reducing plastics in all their forms helps all living creatures on the planet to be free from the pollution caused directly and indirectly by this material and the manufacturing of it. Our air, land and water will benefit from a ban on plastics. We have other options instead of plastics. Susan Daly, Golden CO

Plastic pollution is a health issue at every level of life. I HATE single-use bags and throw away items that the public is inundated with on a daily basis. Our “throw-away society” is responsible for the state of our oceans and lands. It would be beneficial if everyone was re-trained to not depend on plastics. People need to take responsibility/accountability to rid their lives of it, forever! I urge you to support this bill and let’s get on with it. Diane Vandiver, Bolingbrook IL

My life and the lives of all creatures on earth would have cleaner air to breathe, cleaner water to drink, uncontaminated food to eat, and a greater chance of survival if we break free from the production and use of plastics, which would also help to reverse the life killing effects of global climate change. Suzanne Pentek, Chicago IL

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act would benefit me in that I would not see plastic containers on every roadway I use. It would benefit me to the point that I would not see ocean animals being strangled everyday.  It would benefit me that Manatees, Dolphins and Whales would not be trapped in the plastic as well as consuming it as their daily diet when trying to survive. Barbara Martin, Plantation FL

Plastic pollution is killing sea life. Plastic is photodegradable and so becomes poison as the sun breaks it down in water. It does not biodegrade and so accumulates in mountains of garbage if not actually recycled. It has toxins in it which leach into products in trace amounts which can be carcinogenic. It is a fossil fuel product and so a carbon emission product. Please pass this bill so plastic will no longer kill the sea life I scuba and snorkel with. Susan Spencer, Douglasville GA

We need to drastically reduce plastic for ourselves, the environment and the wildlife that have been so affected by our negligence to their wellbeing. Plastic shows up in people and animals. Biodiversity reduces pandemics, like Covid-19. Having healthy places for wildlife protects everyone. Birth Control should be universal, not plastics. When we reduce plastics in our home, we reduce the burden going into landfills. We reduce plastics in the ocean and go to third world countries. I do not believe there is ANY difference between myself and a person in Cambodia or Cameroon, we need to NOT PASS POLLUTION ONTO POOR PEOPLE. Nina French, Portland OR

All this plastic waste will be with the world for many, many years after I am gone. I want to leave this planet in a better state than it is now. I am old enough to remember a time before everything was made or packaged in plastic. We lived well and enjoyed our lives just fine. We had a multitude of consumer goods. We do not need plastic everything. I would love to have people not throw fast food containers, plastic bottles, bags, etc. in my yard. I constantly clean up the roadside in front of my house. Ruth Boice, Shamong NJ

Plastic isn’t biodegradable.  It’s made up of toxins which leak into our soil; animals that eat that soil and humans that eat those animals.  Birds and other animals die from being trapped in plastic thrown into waters. People throw plastic on the ground creating trash. When we microwave plastic items that leaks into the food we eat and causes us harm.  Plastic water bottles also release toxins when we drink that water. It would prevent many people from getting sick. I don’t want people to suffer. It would stop plastic bags hanging from trees that people throw on the ground.  I want to look at the beauty of trees not plastic. It would stop birds and animals from suffering being caught in plastic. All animals should be respected and taken care of. Mirian Rivera-Shapiro, Brooklyn NY

Plastic is killing marine life. It is destroying beaches. It is toxic. It is ugly. We need a healthy ocean for a healthy planet. I clean trash off of Topanga Canyon Blvd. With about ten like-minded Topangans at 7 am for three hours each Sunday. Support this bill. With this bill passed, I could sleep in! Beth Goode, Topanga CA

The oceans cannot handle any more trash. The oceanic environments and animals are suffering. There already is too much pollution being dumped into our waters. It breaks my heart when I see pictures of marine life being harmed and killed by human trash! I have not asked for or have needed to receive a plastic bag when shopping for almost two years. Having a bill like this, if enforced, would definitely decrease my concern for how lightly we are taking our own health and that of future generations. Cynthia Kirschling, New York City, NY

Every choice we make today will influence the lives of every creature on this planet from today forward: our own, the animals with whom we share it, and future generations moving forward.  Reducing plastic is a huge step in improving our own quality of life and the quality of all the lives, human and animal, to come. We and they deserve so much better than we are doing right now.  Make the choice to support this bill and ask other legislators to stand with you for all of us. Meghan Parker, Baird TX

I am writing in support of the break free from plastic pollution act. Thousands of animals are killed each year from the overuse and pollution of plastic in our oceans and on our lands. Not only animals but people are suffering from plastic. We need to go back to glass. Growing up we didn’t have the plastic we do now and we got along just fine. It would benefit everyone, the environment, our animals and wildlife.  We need to do what is right and that is get rid of the overuse of plastic. Bronwen Evans, Seattle WA

At least 78% of the priority pollutants identified by the EPA are known to be associated with plastic marine debris, as toxic pollutants can stick to the surfaces of plastics. So when sea creatures eat plastic bags or plastic soda rings, not only can it take up room in their stomachs, preventing them from getting the nutrients they need, but it can be full of toxic pollutants it’s picked up in the water! Plastic debris weathers over time, which increases its affinity for chemical absorption. This means the accumulation of chemicals on plastic debris will increase with time in seawater, potentially making them even more hazardous to animals that ingest the debris. Dorothy Cooperson Vieweg, Arlington MA

Marine plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species. The impacts include fatalities as a result of ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, drowning, and entanglement.  The reason marine animals are starving from plastic pollution is their stomachs become full of plastic that they cannot digest. The ingestion of plastic can also cause more immediate health risks, such as organs being punctured by sharp pieces of plastic. Obviously this causes a swift and unpleasant death for the animal. Dan Willis, Southborough MA

It is predicted that in a number of years, the amount of plastic in the ocean will outnumber the number of fish. There is only one way to prevent this, and it’s by reducing our use of plastic and the way we enforce or do not enforce how it is discarded and processed once the single use item has been used. Those of us who do not have authority to influence these decisions must stand idly by and see our world destroyed. You on the other hand who have the authority to make the difference have an opportunity in your hands to change the outcome for every inhabitant of the earth and the oceans. Please do what is right and use your authority as an opportunity to stop the destruction of our oceans. Protecting the oceans from destruction is a service to the entire globe and to every person on it. Normajean Bowen, Camp Verde AZ

Plastics have become a global threat to all life. What originally appeared to be a universal boom to human existence has become just the opposite. Plastics degrade in ways that make innocent animals confuse them for a food source. When plastics do not degrade to resemble food, they strangle and impinge on habitats. Their sheer volume displaced whole habitats as is evidenced by incredibly large masses of plastics at sea. Reduced plastic pollution improves future life chances for the whole terrestrial biosphere.  We need a plastic-free ocean and our animal friends and food sources consuming non-plastic real food. Rose Leather, Phoenix AZ

The reasons to stop plastic pollution should be obvious to anyone who cares about the health of our ocean waters – from saving creatures caught in old nets who then drown, to saving those that mistake the plastic for food and then die that way. Species that are already endangered, such as sea turtles and the blue whale, are being harmed even more through pollution, global warming and other types of human activity. Microplastics in the water end up in human food through the fish and other seafood that we eat. There are enormous vortexes of plastic trash larger than the state of Texas, with an unknown depth, and there’s disgusting mounds of plastic trash on the beaches. This is a global phenomenon. Again, as a citizen of the world, I would hope that with a HUGE reduction in production of plastic. We need to concentrate on how to clean up the terrible mess humans have caused.  From someone who loves nature (and does not want to eat microplastics), I would benefit on all fronts. Lynette K. Henderson, Chatsworth CA

Reducing plastic waste is important because plastic production requires an enormous amount of energy and resources. This causes carbon emissions and contributes to global warming. Recycling plastic is not efficient – only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled. About 60% is discarded in landfills and oceans. It also uses large quantities of water. Plastic has toxic pollutants that damage the environment and cause land, water, and air pollution. It can take hundreds or even thousands of years for plastic to break down, so the damage to the environment is long-lasting. Globally, it is estimated that over 100 million marine animals are killed each year by plastic waste. This “Act” removes the burden of waste collection and recycling from the cities, from states, and, most importantly, from taxpayers, and puts it where it belongs: on the producers and the companies putting out these unsustainable products into the marketplace. Terry Kourda, Chula Vista CA

It is very important to me that you please sign on and co-sponsor the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020. I will be able to see seals, otters and dolphins again along our ocean here in Santa Cruz. I haven’t seen any marine life here for a long time. Several years ago, every single day you could always see otters, seals, and even dolphins and whales.  There are so many videos of rescues of whales and turtles entangled in plastic nets, and so many more have been killed by mistaking plastic for food in the ocean. With the plastics pollution bill, I will know that our Congressmen and women care about humanity and marine life and the health of our oceans. Thank you. Beverly Jennings, Santa Cruz CA

As a photographer & environmentalist, I have seen first hand how devastating plastic pollution is around the globe. I have also witnessed first hand how grassroots movements in conjunction with legislation can create waves of change – namely in Bali with their single-use plastic ban. Enacting a reduction in single-use plastics is a WIN WIN WIN! Not only is it better for our animals & planet, it’s also better for human health (since people ingest 70,000+ microplastics each year) and helps increase tourism to coastal environments boosting local economies. The plastic pollution ban is the right thing to do, and we can do this together. Passing this bill would keep my beaches cleaner from plastic debris, so I can enjoy surfing with my close-knit community more! Meg Haywood Sullivan, Venice CA

Our environment is being destroyed and fellow species are dying horrible, preventable, unnecessary deaths because of plastic. The plastic companies have the means to recycle ALL the plastic they create. No excuses. There is too much plastic in our everyday lives. Just look around your home, vehicle and work and count how many plastics are around you. Let’s eliminate as much as we possibly can and get back to nature. The Earth will be cleaner and safer. Wildlife won’t suffer, die or be harmed because of it. There won’t be plastic trash floating in water, clogging drains, filling landfills, and polluting everything. Our country will be cleaner and more beautiful and pristine–the way it used to be. How it still should be. That alone will boost the mental, emotional and spiritual health of everyone. Without plastic in our water that leaches chemicals, we won’t have as many sick people and animals and will mean better physical health, as well. Diana Drummond, Vernon CT

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 is a critically important bill which would significantly reduce rampant plastic pollution comprehensively. This is extremely important to me and to my family. I want to see a whole scale reduction in the number of disposable plastics produced. Less manufacturing will decrease greenhouse gas emissions, which we are very concerned about. We want our waterways, groundwater and drinking water protected. Additionally, we want to see fewer wild creatures harmed by the refuse. I’ve been personally advocating for a national standardized labeling system for recycling and composting receptacles, so that guidelines and rules are clear and specific and carry across state borders. And producers of these products should most definitely be required to include labels on their products that are easy to read and indicate whether the products are recyclable, compostable, or reusable. These are all very important to me and to my family. Julia Stevenson, Washington DC

I live on Hawaii Island, where volunteers clean up tons of plastic waste that accumulates on our beaches every month.  Our sea turtles and monk seals, both endangered species, are especially at risk from this debris. Our oceans being polluted with plastic rubbish is not acceptable! If humans stopped polluting our oceans with plastic waste, my beaches would be clean and beautiful; marine animals could live without the risk of dying from eating or being trapped in plastic garbage; my spirit would be free of the sadness that fills my heart due to marine debris. Linda Morgan, Ocean View HI

Our waters and soils are polluted with plastic, from shards of styrofoam to nanoparticles of plastic bags, indigestible to bacteria in the earth or to the animals who strangle themselves or die of blocked passageways. I love the earth and want its lifeforms to survive, I would be grateful to see us break free from plastic. The healthy future of our ecosystem is what matters most. Paula Myles, Harwich MA

State by State

Fetuses in their mother’s wombs have already been introduced to plastic, this is totally wrong. All life on earth has plastic within it, this needs to stop. April Warwick, Anchorage, AK  More voices from Alaska, click here.

At every point in its “lifespan,” from manufacture to slow decay, plastic involves chemicals that endanger human lives and our climate. Nor should we forget, amid a global pandemic, that plastic can act as a raft to transport germs. It is past time to break free of harmful plastic products. Lorna Wood, Auburn  AL  More voices from Alabama, click here.

We are responsible for irreplaceable biodiversity and clean, healthy ecosystems upon Earth. Everything is connected—humans can’t survive without a healthy environment and ecosystems. David Parker, Sherwood  AR  More voices from Arkansas, click here.

We need to stop treating our oceans as a giant garbage dump and that is where most of the single-use plastic winds up eventually. Healthy oceans and a healthy planet equal healthy people. Continuing as we have only serves to increase the clean up issues for future generations. We have a chance to stop the excess now. I’m constantly picking up pieces of plastic and plastic bags that I find outside because it’s important to me that the Earth is not trashed. This act would help restore some peace of mind about the future for my grandchildren.  Crystal Rector, Phoenix  AZ  More voices from Arizona, click here.

Please add your voice to ours by writing a comment on our letter.

While growing up my parents, myself, and my four siblings camped and hiked throughout California. We also spent a great deal of time at our local beaches. About 15 years ago, I was with my daughter and my two grandchildren and we saw two beached sea lions. One was close to the water while the other was further up. The one close to us was in quite a bit of distress. The fishing line had been entangled around its entire body. Lifeguards, standing by the two seals, called the Marine Life Rescue Team.  I have always had deep respect for our earth and its ethereal wildlife. This is so heartbreaking for me and when I see the way humans continue to dishonor the earth and wildlife, I get so angry. Please act by passing this plastic pollution bill.  Kathleen Tyson, Riverside CA  More voices from California, click here. 

We must protect the vitality of life in our oceans and keep our land freer from pollution.  This pollution is moving through our environment and back into our own bodies. We have yet to assess the full harm being done.  With a changing climate, much is under threat. Life is made worse by plastic pollution. This legislation would set new limits on plastic production, the use of plastics, and lead us towards better practices for a viable future.  Without limits now we will fail to fully create the alternative practices that make for a better future. Mark Meeks, Bailey  CO  More voices from Colorado, click here.

Please add your voice to ours by writing a comment on our letter.

Our environment is being destroyed and fellow species are dying horrible, preventable, unnecessary deaths because of plastic. The plastic companies have the means to recycle ALL the plastic they create. No excuses. Plastic is too much in our everyday lives. Just look around your home, vehicle and work. Count how many plastics are around you. Let’s eliminate as much as we possibly can and get back to nature. I urge you to pass this bill so the Earth will be cleaner and safer. Wildlife won’t suffer, die or be harmed because of it. There won’t be plastic trash floating in water, clogging drains, filling landfills, and polluting everything. Our country will be cleaner, pristine, and more beautiful.  Diana Drummond, Vernon CT  More voices from Connecticut, click here.

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 is a critically important bill which would significantly reduce rampant plastic pollution comprehensively. This is extremely important to me and to my family. It will benefit all of us by making everywhere cleaner, healthier and thus safer. I care deeply about the environment. We must clean up the world – now- after years of accumulating harmful waste and indulging gross neglect. This bill will advance us far down that road of taking responsibility for what we do, both personally and nationally. I want to see a whole scale reduction in the number of disposable plastics produced. It is time that we properly dispose of those plastics that we do manufacture and that we have systems in place so that much of what is generated can be reused. Julia Stevenson, Washington  DC  More voices from the Capital, click here.

Plastic is killing the planet.  It has its uses but must be only used when necessary.  No more plastic for convenience sake. This would help towards saving the planet, that is a major benefit for all, not just me. Kathleen Eaton, Middletown, DE  More voices from Delaware, click here.

Everyday I see photos and hear reports of the plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways. We know that microplastics are ingested by all of us, by sea life, and by land creatures. Plastics are just thrown out with no thought to the consequences. My heart is heavy thinking of the seabirds, turtles, and fish that are eating plastics, thinking it is real food. They are suffering on a massive scale. This impacts all of us as we, too, eat seafood. To pass this act would reduce the plastic stream and further the cleanup. Judith Angley, Gainesville  FL  More voices from Florida, click here.

Please add your voice to ours by writing a comment on our letter.

It’s killing sea life. It is photo degradable and so becomes poison as the sun breaks it down in water. It does not biodegrade and so accumulates in mountains of garbage if not actually recycled. It has toxins in it which leach into products in trace amounts which can be carcinogenic. It is a fossil fuel product and so a carbon emission product.  Susan Spencer, Douglasville, GA  More voices from Georgia, click here.

I live on Hawaii Island.  Volunteers clean up tons of plastic waste that accumulates on our beaches every month.  Our sea turtles and monk seals, both endangered species, are especially at risk from this debris.  Our oceans being polluted with plastic rubbish is not acceptable! If humans stopped polluting our oceans with plastic waste, my beaches would be clean and beautiful.  Marine animals could live without the risk of dying from eating or being trapped in plastic garbage. My spirit would be free of the sadness that fills my heart. Please pass this plastic bill and free all our spirits.  Linda Morgan, Ocean View  HI  More voices from Hawaii, click here.

Pollution anywhere is pollution everywhere. The effects may take a long time to manifest, but  could be permanent. I live on planet Earth. Nobody escapes. Kay Michener, Fairfield, IA  More voices from Iowa, click here.

This is important to me because we have very few, if any, places left in America that are not affected by plastic pollution. We need to save our wildlife and earth from pollution, especially from one-use plastics. Everyone would benefit from less plastic pollution and we would have a cleaner world. Celeste Arnold, Boise ID  More voices from Idaho, click here.

People tend to use any/all waterways as toilets, not understanding that this waste is not degrading, has serious consequences to marine and other wildlife, and is toxic to the environment and people. Our “throw-away society” is responsible for the state of our oceans and lands. The chemicals used by plastic producers initiates this toxic cycle. I already use non-plastic grocery bags and utensils. I recycle. It would be beneficial if everyone was re-trained to not depend on plastics. Not having plastics available would mandate such a change. Diane Vandiver, Bolingbrook  IL  More voices from Illinois, click here.

Plastic never goes away, and it’s destroying the lives of the animals in the ocean in horrifying ways. The production of plastic includes the use of fossil fuels, which speeds up the overall problem of climate change. It’s vital for the health of all humans that plastic production is slowed down as quickly as possible. Karisha Kirk, Bloomington  IN  More voices from Indiana, click here.

We need to protect all the animals and other living things in the ocean before its too late.  Stop putting plastic in the ocean by going to something that can be reused over and over again. I don’t use plastic that much and I use it over and over again.  I make sure it is recycled when I finish using it so no animal or the ocean will be hurt. Everyone should do the same. Now is the time to save the oceans and everything in them.  Veda Joy, Leavenworth, KS  More voices from Kansas, click here.

Please add your voice to ours by writing a comment on our letter.

Plastic is everywhere and will have unexpected health consequences.  It is not compostable and adds to our landfills. When it does not make it to the landfill it ends up on our streets which empty into our streams, rivers and oceans.  When it does break down very slowly in the oceans, it is absorbed into sea creatures’ tissues and then we or some other creatures eat them. I really don’t need plastic in my body’s cells; I’m bionic enough. Pamela Glaze, Louisville  KY More voices from Kentucky, click here.

To help the environment reduce your use of plastics. Tina Lamia, New Orleans, LA  More voices from Louisiana, click here.

On my daily walks with my dogs around my neighborhood, I routinely fill a grocery bag of plastic trash from the streets. And I understand scientists estimate that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. We cannot continue to treat our beautiful planet like a garbage dump. We must act now. I fear desperately for the future of my children and grandchildren. Lisa Landsverk, Cambridge  MA  More voices from Massachusetts, click here.

Plastic pollution is ubiquitous in the world’s oceans. It is breaking down into micro-bits of plastic and entering the food chain and even then being consumed by humans. We need to dramatically turn the tide. This is no less a threat to the world than many crises that receive much more attention. This is a hugely important issue to me personally. Richard Klyver, Bar Harbor  ME  More voices from Maine, click here.

Plastics are polluting the environment where produced and the oceans where they end up. Plastic lasts for thousands of years. We need to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative one, relying on sustainable practices and reducing trash. This will help me live in a more simple and sustainable planetary environment. It will help me live in a human culture where people are awakened to their relationships and connections with nature. People will stop treating nature like it is a thing. Joan Clement, Takoma Park, MD More voices from Maryland, click here.

Please add your voice to ours by writing a comment on our letter.

Plastic pollution is killing sea animals who ingest it. It is destroying the beauty of beaches.  Both of these issues are moral and economic problems. But if caring for the animals and places that we use for making a living and for recreational enjoyment are not enough, microplastics are now found throughout the world, including on mountain tops. We are ingesting these and, as a result, may be poisoning ourselves. This, along with our changing climate are the two greatest threats we face. We can find a way out and provide for our descendants a place where they and all life can survive and thrive, or we can continue to trash it and kill other life as well as undoubtedly our own. No turtle, fish, bird or whale should have to eat plastic. I don’t want a world without these animals. I don’t want plastics to contribute to suffering or stand by and see it happen. Misty Jackson, Leslie MI  More voices from Michigan, click here.

I recently traveled the country from north to south. It is appalling to see the amount of plastic in our environment – from large sheets of plastic wrapped around tree branches to bottles carelessly thrown in with regular trash. If plastic was properly recycled, then repurposed, it might not be such a big deal.  We have alternatives: reusable glass bottles and glass storage containers, for example. We need to wean ourselves away from plastic. Corporations and manufacturers can use alternatives. Our family has largely done that. We as a society can also do this. It is our natural environment and the birds and animals that are harmed by plastics that concern me most. Ann Miller, Duluth MN  More voices from Minnesota, click here.

It’s very important to reduce plastic pollution since plastic kills birds and amphibians and other animals.  Plastic gets into their stomachs and poison them. When animals are decimated then the planet won’t survive! Human and animal species can live in a more healthy environment. Hera Gerber, St. Louis MO  More voices from Missouri, click here.

Our precious sea creatures are ingesting plastic, getting sick and dying. Is this preventable? Yes! Do you want to be responsible for this death? Please say “NO”! What can you do to stop this? Please say “Anything It Takes”! My Mississippi Gulf Coast Beach could be healthier and the sea turtles and dolphins can be healthy and swimming free — Instead of carcasses washing up on our beach. Frost, Waveland, MS  More voices from Mississippi, click here.

As divers, we have seen firsthand the appalling effects of plastic pollution around our fragile planet’s oceans; even our rivers are affected. Microplastics are found in all of us, up and down the food chain. And still humanity does little to stem the overwhelming tide of plastic pollution. This apathy and carelessness must end now because all species are at risk. I try very hard to not buy single use plastics, but sometimes I have no choice. Plant-based plastics are available, like our Co-op’s Vegware, thank goodness. And only #1 and #2 plastics can be recycled in Bozeman. So much ends up in our landfills, but around the world more ends up in our imperiled oceans. I want to shop sustainably and this act would help me do that. Gail Richardson, Bozeman  MT  More voices from Montana, click here.

Please add your voice to ours by writing a comment on our letter.

We have killed about 95% of the world’s whales. The few that remain have had to live in our sewage for decades, along with all the other sea creatures. Now we have added millions of tons of plastic and other debris. About one half million innocent whales and dolphins die each year from entanglement. Isn’t it time we gave them a break?  Doug Franklin, Hayesville  NC  More voices from North Carolina, click here.

If we don’t reduce plastic pollution, we will be gravely hurting our environment, including our oceans, whose health is vital to our existence. Passing this bill would help save our oceans, waterways, and natural habitats from becoming unable to sustain life. Not passing the bill would doom me and everyone else. Susan Harrie, Grand Forks ND  More voices from North Dakota, click here.

All you need to do is look on YouTube for a vast supply of videos detailing the amount of plastic trash in our oceans. We are killing ourselves and the planet’s wildlife with our excess. We will all benefit from reduced plastic use. Banning the use of single-use plastics would greatly help our overburdened waste and recycling streams. Janet Fotos, Hollis, NH  More voices from New Hampshire, click here.

Supermarkets are using more plastics than ever, rather than paper boxes for bakery goods. Each single item from cookies to cupcakes are encased in plastic that will be thrown out.  Single sandwiches, vegetables, single portion salads and entrees are in hard plastic. It is beyond belief! Multiply this by thousands, add convenience stores and takeout restaurants, and the world is over-whelmed with small toxic forever plastics. Just one part of plastics economy. Then there are the bottles! Billions of bottles.  It must end. Plastics are now in the deepest trenches of the oceans and the furthest remote places. We are killing the planet with just a few decades of easy plastic. It must stop now. I am 60 and remember the world before mass plastic. I try to be aware of purchases and have always used reusable glass bottles. I remember the push to stop plastic bags in the 1980’s. The manufacturers’ lobby won. I would sleep better if you acted on this bill.  Carol Jagiello, Bloomingdale NJ  More voices from New Jersey, click here.

The Break Free from Plastic Pollution bill would help reduce a tremendous amount of waste in the United States. With our climate changing drastically this is the first step among many that have to happen.  We do not have the luxury to not take action.  Our environment and lives are at stake and changing forever.  We need to take responsibility as Human Beings to take care of our home, our Earth, our Planet. This bill would teach our local communities throughout our state and the country. Take responsibility in taking care of our environment. Chemen Ochoa, Santa Fe NM  More voices from New Mexico, click here.

We need to stop creating trash. Before plastics we used our own shopping bags and returned glass bottles. We benefit greatly from plastics for medical uses but single use plastic definitely needs to go! Please pass this bill. I would love to see my part of the world clear of plastic bags! The land and waterways free from pollution! Catherine Ayoub, Las Vegas NV  More voices from Nevada, click here.

Plastic pollution is more than beaches and coastlines full of floating bottles. It is now also micro-bits of plastic that find their way even into fish at the bottom of the sea. It is not only endangering nature, it is endangering our health, which depends on the health of the environment. This is not a sentimental matter. It is a matter of survival for the planet. There is no Planet B. I am not an island, I am part of a whole, and the health of that whole, whether it be a village in Africa, the coast of an island like Hong Kong, or a beach in California (where I have family)—it’s all a part of me. Isabel Sena, Jackson Heights  NY  More voices from New York, click here.

Please add your voice to ours by writing a comment on our letter.

Plastics are not transient in the environment, they are a permanent addition with known and unknown consequences. We know we are consuming plastic microfibers on a daily basis, we know microfibers are displacing plankton in the oceans, we know microfibers are ubiquitous – in the air, transported by water, contaminating everything. What we don’t know is the end result of all this plastic incursion. What we do know is that it doesn’t belong here and we’re responsible for cleaning it up. Rather than making it a personal choice, the act would make it a fact of life. Not something we choose to do, but something we have to do – even if some can’t see the rationale behind it.  Peter Beves, Cincinnati  OH  More voices from Ohio, click here.

The ocean is FULL of plastic and it is in the stomachs of fish and other mammals who swim in the ocean. It is now even in our systems due to the breakdown of it. We need to stop this now for the health of all animals.  Lana Henson, Oklahoma City OK  More voices from Oklahoma, click here.

Plastic is extraordinarily harmful to all inhabitants of this planet. The amount of animals that die from ingesting or getting strangled/choked by it is disgusting and deeply saddening. The fact that it takes an incredibly long time to degrade and its production causes cancer and other diseases is sickening. We can do better. We have millions of brilliant minds that can invent/produce more environmentally sustainable replacements.  Please support this bill and my future kids will have a healthier, greener planet. Yara Tethys, Eugene OR  More voices from Oregon, click here.

Our dependence on plastic has imperiled our oceans and rivers, forests and parks.  The power of the industry has blocked attempts to move to green alternatives. For the sake of the planet, we must reject plastic. This legislation would be a powerful boost to green alternatives to plastic, especially in consumer goods packaging.  Laura Horowitz, Pittsburgh  PA  More voices from Pennsylvania, click here.

The constant use and disposal of plastic is taking over our oceans, not only is it killing all the sea creatures but it is smothering all forms of growth at the bottom of our oceans.  This bill will benefit me tremendously because I care about what happens to the animals and our Environment. Those that do not must be held accountable and made to stop polluting by law. Gail Johnston, North Kingstown RI  More voices from Rhode Island, click here.

All the bags and bottles are wasteful and merely a deplorable convenience for humans who are careless about the planet.  All this stuff is made from petroleum which is destroying the environment in other ways as well, including causation of global warming.  I say phase it all out. Remember the convenience fondly if you’re inclined, but this cannot go on. It would save animals and give me a whole lot of peace of mind.  That’s enough.  Craig Hall, Greenville  SC  More voices from South Carolina, click here.

For the safety of our children’s future food, for the health of the sea animal population, and for the well-being of the whole earth, plastic pollution must be curtailed. This is of enormous importance. I care about healthy oceans and a sustainable environment. I want future generations to be able to enjoy the beauty of a healthy planet.  Erika Lehmann, Dimock  SD  More voices from South Dakato, click here.

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As a mother and a grandmother, I am very concerned for the health and viability of the planet that our children and future generations will inherit. We have a duty to our communities, families and most importantly, children to ensure their safety and well-being through environmentally-sound and sustainable policies. The Break Free from Plastic Pollution bill would greatly reduce the production of these products in the US. Less plastic production will use less fossil fuels, like coal and natural gas. This will make a better world for our children and their offspring. Juli Kring, Houston  TX  More voices from Texas, click here.

Plastic ingestion is causing population declines among marine species, which threatens our fisheries, and thus, the global economy. Additionally, the loss of keystone species threatens the stability of the ecosystems we depend on for ecosystem services, such as food and flood control. Ecosystem collapse also contributes to increases in disease transmission and evolution of new strains of diseases (e.g., cholera outbreaks from Vibrio species not normally found together sharing new genes that increase virulence). As an ecologist, I understand there are many indirect effects we will all benefit from by reducing plastic waste. However, even far from the coast, we benefit by reducing waste in general and switching to compostable or more recyclable materials. Becky Williams, Vernal  UT  More voices from Utah, click here.

Plastic pollution is not just unsightly and a risk to wildlife, it is a fossil fuel product driving climate change. It is full of harmful chemicals as well, such as BPA and phthalates. Micro plastics, so small that we can’t even see them, have been found everywhere we look for them-sand, water, salt, soil, even beer! We need to stop production of plastic for uses where safer, non-fossil fuel-derived materials can be used. Banning the most toxic plastics such as vinyl and polystyrene would be a good step forward. I don’t want fracking being done to produce vast quantities of single-use products and packaging! I don’t want toxic chemicals or microplastics in my body or in my children’s bodies. Peggy Gilges, Charlottesville  VA  More voices from Virginia, click here.

As I always say, plastic is cheap and convenient but it is literally killing marine life and some on land. People lived without it for thousands of years and I am pretty sure we could do it again.  A lot less plastic would benefit wildlife but also would make our planet a bit healthier and that would benefit all living beings which the planet is too. It is deadly and unsightly and I strive to less than I do. I already use a lot less plastic than many and am trying to do better. For me I would be happy to know that efforts are being made to save marine life and water-all water and not just oceans. We have a beautiful planet and I want it to be healthier. Please support this bill.  For me, it would be more peace of mind knowing the spread of plastic will be reduced for I am a lover of the planet and wildlife. Kate Kenner, Guilford VT  More voices from Vermont, click here.

Sustainability is crucial to everyone’s future. We need to make effective recycling a priority. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was passed in 1976, and yet this nation is still struggling to meet the requirements of that legislation. Without a meaningful program to control the re-update of consumer materials, we will condemn the future to the inadequacies of the present. Put money and effort into recycling programs that work. This needs to be a priority and the legislators need to spearhead this activity. Make it happen. Excuses will not suffice. Michael Gan, Kennewick  WA  More voices from Washington, click here.

In less than 40 years we have lost more than half of all wildlife world-wide and we have created a very polluted Earth.  We now find plastic as a major world-wide pollution, even in the oceans!  We cannot continue this way.  The Earth will not sustain another 40 years in the same fashion.  We need to treat the Earth with greater care, sustainably.  There is no “Planet B” for us. I intend to live for quite a while yet.  The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act may not have an immediate impact on my life because these things take time.  But without this legislation, and major changes to follow in what we humans do on this planet, we will see severe harmful problems in the near future. Steve Deibele, Kiel WI  More voices from Wisconsin, click here.

Plastic is “forever”, progressively destroying the nature that means so much to us. Stop the endless accumulation of plastic odds and ends that recycling won’t accept. Act in support of the plastic pollution bill. Margaret Wood, Augusta WV  More voices from West Virginia, click here.

Protect wildlife and water it will benefit everyone in so many ways. Susan Cicero, Alta WY  More voices from Wyoming, click here.

I’ll tell you what me scares me is plastic. Plastic bags and plastic bottles and these things. Why does my water have to be in a bloody plastic bottle? The landfill and the ocean. And I don’t know, I’m just terrified with the proliferation of plastic. Helen Mirren, London, UK  More international voices from overseas and Canada, click here.

Our assaults on the ecosystem are so powerful, so numerous, so finely interconnected, that although the damage they do is clear, it is very difficult to discover how it was done. By which weapon? In whose hand? Are we driving the ecosphere to destruction simply by our growing numbers? By our greedy accumulation of wealth? Or are the machines which we have built to gain this wealth-the magnificent technology that now feeds us out of neat packages, that clothes us in man-made fibers, that surrounds us with new chemical creations-at fault?  Barry Commoner, Brooklyn Heights NY

Pollution is directly harming life on the planet: which is to say, ruining the environment for humanity itself. We are fouling our air and water, and living in noise and filth that no “animal” would tolerate, which advertising and politicians try to tell us “we never had it so good.” The dependence of the modern governments on this kind of untruth leads to shameful mind-pollution: mass media and most school education.  Keith Murray, The Environmental Handbook, Prepared for the first national environmental teach-in April 22, 1970.

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