The Last Plastic Straw

07/07/2026

06/11/2026

To quote my incredible crewmate and friend Natascha Fürst
“Out there, in the middle of the ocean, you are reminded how small you are - and at the very same time, how powerful we become when we stop moving alone.”

Check out my experience and thoughts on our recent journey together with eXXpedition and an incredible all women crew sailing from NZ to Tonga.

⛵ On May 13, 2026, a crew of 13 women from seven different countries set sail aboard S/V Wind Shift from Bay of Islands, on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, to Tongatapu, Tonga’s main island. Facing heavy winds and high seas from the start, the team made landfall in Tonga on May 27. ⁠
⁠
🌊 In this second part of our two-part blog series, Erica Cirino and Jackie Nuñez discuss sailing, science, and solutions during their eXXpedition voyages, sharing insights about how the issue of plastic pollution has evolved over the last seven years. ⁠
⁠
👉🔗 You can read the entire interview here: https://bit.ly/exxpedition_part2

06/10/2026

Great visual

A system that creates an unmanageable amount of waste is NOT an efficient system. We need to reward companies for sustainability, not short-term greed that hurts us all in the long run.

06/05/2026

💐🌹 Flower bouquets are beautiful, but there's often a hidden cost behind the scenes. In addition to the plastic pollution generated from the fresh flower industry and packaging, growers are exempt from pesticide regulations since flowers aren't considered edible.⁠
⁠
Then there's also the problem of floral foam, a dense green block designed to keep flowers in place & hydrated, but which often contain up to *ten* shopping bags worth of plastic in a single block. 🛍️⁠
⁠
But there's growing awareness of these issues, and increasing solutions to take them on. Read more in our latest blog, Pretty Toxic 🔗: https://bit.ly/PrettyToxic

06/05/2026

WRITTEN BY JACKIE ON THE SOUTH PACIFIC EXPEDITION FROM BAY OF ISLANDS TO TONGATAPU It was movie night at Minerva Reef and after a late dinner I was able to keep the tired crew awake enough with a community screening 1 hour cut of the movie Plastic Detox. (Full cut available to watch on Netflix) […...

05/05/2026

Plastic straws can feel unavoidable, especially with many bars and cafes automatically including them in every drink.

There are many ways that people choose to refuse plastic straws, including:

🍹Asking for their drink to be made without a single-use plastic straw before its made
🍹Using reusable straws made from materials such as steel, bamboo, or glass
🍹Encouraging their favourite local businesses to only provide straws when asked for, rather than as a default
🍹Speaking to schools, day care centres, and other childminding centres to think about their use of plastic straws in arts and crafts

Do you have creative ways to avoid plastic straws? Let us know in the comments!

04/28/2026

According to Toy Libraries Australia, a staggering 51% of toys bought in Australia end up in landfill within 12 months. A lot of these toys are made from plastic and come in plastic packaging, further compounding the impact they have when discarded so quickly and easily.

Toy libraries aim to change that, by enabling people to borrow high-quality toys, rather than buying and binning them. It’s a solution that’s less burdensome on wallets, and far less burdensome on the environment.

Many people find toy libraries near them online, checking out local community centres or book libraries, or even create their own by engaging their community.

04/24/2026

https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/plastic-pollution-bad-enough-burning-it-can-be-even-worse

In places like Indonesia, plastic refuse is often burned in unregulated low-tech furnaces that pose grave health risks. Tropodo is a pretty village of narrow streets and brightly colored houses, set...

04/13/2026

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟⁠
​​Plastic pollution is an ongoing crisis, and we cannot keep allowing Mother Earth to be a dumping ground. 🛑 Your support helps us take on polluters in court, support education & research, and push for stronger laws to reduce plastic production and pollution. ⁠
⁠
🌺 🌎 Help us protect Mother Earth and counter plastic, especially during these tumultuous times – Donate here: 🔗⁠ https://bit.ly/plasticfree-earthmonth

04/07/2026

1,300 miles. 14 women. One mission to end the age of plastic. 🌊We are so proud to share that Jackie Nuñez, founder of , has been selected for the prestigious research voyage! This May, sailing from Bay of Islands, NZ to Tonga to document the plastic crisis firsthand. 🚢⚓️

Jackie has spent her life fighting for our oceans. Now, she’s heading to the front lines to collect the data needed to drive global policy change. But she needs our help to get there.

Will you donate to support Jackie’s research mission? Every dollar fuels the science that protects our seas.
Click on link to support Jackie! 🔗https://bit.ly/4qkXqE0