The Last Plastic Straw

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. ⁠
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🌺 🌎 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

03/18/2026

Learn more and how support here: https://bit.ly/4qkXqE0

🌊 In 2018, 300 women were selected for something remarkable — an all-women sailing mission to witness plastic pollution firsthand, contribute scientific research, and bring back stories that could change minds.

🪸 Learn what two women from the Plastic Pollution Coalition team experienced firsthand and what's to come as Jackie Nuñez, Founder of The Last Plastic Straw prepares for her next voyage with eXXpedition. ⛵ Story here: 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/women-sailing

01/30/2026

Recently a campaign was launched to turn Devghat Dham, one of Nepal’s most revered Hindu pilgrimage sites, into a plastic-free zone. 🥳

In Nepal, local governments, civil society groups, and communities are joining forces to improve waste management, install more dustbins and toilets, and raise awareness so that visitors stop bringing plastic to the site. The initiative is promoting long-term behaviour change to reduce plastic at the source, not just once-off clean ups, and includes regular monitoring for pollution and plastic waste.

Do you know of any other special sites that have become plastic-free zones? Let us know in the comments.

01/30/2026

What if we could get it right? The Pew Charitable Trust’s recent report on plastic pollution provided some staggering facts, but also the promise of real solutions. When we scale up reuse systems, we can stop single-use plastic pollution once and for all.

🌊 Reuse is the future!

01/30/2026

Come join Save Our Shores as a Sanctuary Steward! 😆

In 2025, 6 Save Our Shores Staff and 30 Sanctuary Stewards led 212 events around Monterey Bay educating, advocating and driving community action. This team of dedicated, passionate, curious, and energetic ocean advocates helps lead diverse and engaging programs each year.

- Beach + River Cleanups: Trash cleanup and data collection with community volunteer support 🏝️🌊
- Outreach Tabling: Engage community members in education (we have a really cool trivia wheel) and opportunities to get involved 🤝
- Youth Education Support: Support youth field trips and educational beach cleanups 💪
- Special Projects: Write blogs, take pictures, prep mailers, run games and face painting, etc.🎨
- Sanctuary Steward Socials: Connect with SOS team, board and fellow stewards 😎

Training Begins February 8, 2026, Info, Schedule and Interest Form at saveourshores.org/sanctuarystewards/

12/03/2025

Export data proves that California and other U.S. States are shipping contaminated paper waste to countries that have banned imports.

Email from Basel Action Network Governor, State Agencies, and Waste Companies Must Stop Allowing the Dumping of Mixed Plastic and Paper Waste For Immediate Release California Caught Violating Foreign