Zero Waste

Plastics vs. Planet: Upcoming Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations

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Plastics vs. Planet: Upcoming Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations
The Ecology Center has a decades-long record of battling disposable plastic packaging. From the nation’s first styrofoam foodware ban (1988) to the  Report of the Berkeley Plastics Task Force (1996), to Berkeley’s Disposable Foodware Reduction Ordinance (2019), the Ecology Center has led the way for our community, the environment, and the nation.  We have locked… Read more »

Against All Odds—Could a Global Plastic Treaty Be a Reality in 2024?

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Against All Odds—Could a Global Plastic Treaty Be a Reality in 2024?
An Interview with Ecology Center Executive Director Martin Bourque on the United Nations Plastic Treaty meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, November 13–19, 2023 This past November, Ecology Center Executive Director Martin Bourque returned from the United Nations Environmental Programme Plastic Treaty meetings in Nairobi, Kenya with the latest news in the global fight to end plastic… Read more »

Thanks for Joining Us for Plastic Free July 2023!

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Thanks for Joining Us for Plastic Free July 2023!
This summer, the Ecology Center celebrated Plastic Free July with a month filled with dynamic events and engaging educational content. Over the course of five remarkable events we connected with more than 300 community members, volunteers, and supporters as we explored the many opportunities to address the problems with plastics. We are grateful to have… Read more »

Explore the Ecology Center’s Disposable Foodware Policy Toolkit

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A large group of people standing together holding signs that read "Disposable Free Berkeley"
In the US we have been entrenched in a culture of consumption, with little consideration for what waste disposal entails, for decades. In fact, the convenience of disposable products and foodware has long been celebrated; in the 1950s a Time article coined the term “throwaway living,” naming that sentiment. But in recent years, cultural awareness… Read more »

Help Desk’s Top 5 Most Interesting Questions of 2022

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Two Ecology Center Staff at a farmers market tabling event.
Climate change is here, its effects are overwhelming and at times can leave one feeling hopeless. Through these difficult times, the Help Desk team finds solace in your passion for doing right by your community. From greywater installation to information on recycling systems, our Help Desk team is thrilled to have answered questions covering a… Read more »