plastics | Ecology Center

Close to Home: San Francisco Bay Teems with Microplastic Pollution

September 23, 2015 by Ecology Center

A new study by the San Francisco Estuary Institute shows that millions of pieces of plastic are entering the bay every day, contaminating wildlife and moving toxins up the food chain. At least 3.9 million pieces of plastic are coming into the bay daily from the waste water treatment plants. These tiny particles are coming… Read more »

Watch Out for Plastic Industry’s Campaign to Overturn California’s Bag Ban

March 30, 2015 by Ecology Center

Last year, we celebrated a landmark environmental win as California became the first state to sign a bag ban into law. Now, the plastic industry has gathered enough signatures to put a referendum on the November 2016 ballot to overturn SB 270. They filed the paperwork last month, and more than 18 months away from… Read more »

This Summer, Go Plastic Bottle Free When You Head Outdoors

July 16, 2013 by Ecology Center

Planning a trip to the beach or Yosemite this summer? Keep the focus on enjoying these outdoor treasures – not polluting them – and take the pledge to ditch plastic bottled water by drinking tap water from refillable bottles instead. But even if you remember to plan ahead, bottled water is still readily available to… Read more »

Use Less, Recycle More: Berkeley Residents Can Now Recycle More Plastics

July 10, 2013 by Ecology Center

Berkeley has moved one step closer to our goal of Zero Waste by 2020! Berkeley residents can now recycle more plastic containers in their blue curbside carts. In addition to plastic bottles, the Ecology Center’s curbside recycling program will now collect clean food storage containers, dairy tubs (like yogurt), plastic cups, and trays. There are… Read more »

Good News? BPA Is Officially Toxic In California

April 17, 2013 by Ecology Center

One of the most widespread chemicals in our bodies, bisphenol-A or BPA, has been added to the list of reproductive toxins that require warning labels under Prop 65. The decision from California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) will mean that products containing hazardous levels of BPA will have a warning label. This… Read more »