No Plastic Please – the Initiative to Save the Planet!

by | Jan 29, 2020

You’ve seen the images on social media – the beaches covered with garbage, the marine life swimming through obstacle courses made up of garbage. The problem is universal, and a human one, in that it is one that humans can come together and solve.

Single-use plastic (SUP) makes up a great deal of the garbage that is finding its way into our waterways, disrupting the ecology of our oceans, rivers, and lakes, leading to the diminished health of these systems and the creatures that call them home.

But what if there was something simple you could do, as an individual, to combat this? What if it was as easy as saying three simple words: “no plastic please.”

No Plastic Please is a HUMANE ACTION Pittsburgh campaign aimed at reducing SUP to protect our communities’ health, wildlife, and environment.

We suggest starting with refusing the following targeted items when you are dining out, shopping, or attending an event:

  • plastic straws
  • plastic bags
  • plastic cups
  • plastic take out containers
  • plastic bottles
  • all styrofoam
  • plastic stirrers
  • plastic cutlery

While this can sometimes seem like an impossible task, there are so many alternatives available to items listed above, and all it requires is a little planning:

  • Bring your own coffee cup or tumbler to the coffee shop
  • Ask the waiter/waitress to forego the straw for your drink when dining out
  • Attending a picnic? Bring your own plate, reusable water bottle, and cutlery
  • When shopping, bring your own reusable shopping bag
  • Dining out or getting takeout? Bring your own container

 

You can make your own SUP-free kit and carry it with you so you’re ready for any situation.  Learn more here.

Little actions can add up to big results. By thinking about your single-use plastic consumption and making a conscious decision to use alternatives, you are contributing to a solution to a growing problem on the planet and making a difference!

If you want to make a difference, please go to the No Plastic Please page and take the Pledge.

We need you! Volunteer to join our campaign to help spread the word about “No Plastic Please” and work toward a goal of making it a movement among individuals, organizations, and legislatures. For more information on volunteering opportunities you can be a part of, email HUMANE ACTION Pittsburgh at info@humaneactionpittsburgh.org/​.

NOPLASTICPLEASE.NET

AUTHORS

Aimee Douglass is the Director of Compassionate Living. Aimee works in the healthcare industry and has a bachelors degree in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a masters degree in Communications with a health care focus from Southern New Hampshire University.

Abhi Nadendla is a blogger at HAP and has been volunteering at the organization since late 2022. She is a student at the University of Pittsburgh and loves spending her free time helping out at animal shelters.

Hannah Lewis is a grant writer and blogger from Pittsburgh’s North Side who has been with HAP since 2020. In addition to writing and advocating for animals, she enjoys hiking, cooking plant-based meals, bouldering at her local climbing gym, and curling up with a good book and her long-haired cat, Freyja.

Kelly Frantz has recently joined the HAP family as a blog writer. She is passionate about animal protection and is excited to educate the community about animal welfare.