The Plastic Labeling Project
About
The Plastic Labeling Project is a visionary project with potential for a major impact on policy: Proposing Warning labels on products made from petrol-plastics and their harmful chemical ingredients — informing consumers as to the destructive impact plastics are having on all Life.
In 2022, San Francisco Village members Bill Haskell, Michele Sterling, and Frances Payne began the Plastic Labeling Project (PLP), inspired by the work of two member-led series, the Plastics and Plastic Pollution Research Group and the Climate Action Group. Since then, the group has welcomed a fourth member: Robert Weiner, an SFV volunteer enthusiastic about the subject and ready to help.
To find research assistance, the PLP reached out to the Environmental Studies Programs of the San Francisco State University (SFSU) and the University of San Francisco (USF). Four Environmental Studies interns from SFSU undertook research into the science of plastics, and one student in Environmental Studies at USF undertook research into the networking potential with non-profit organizations involved in confronting the problems of plastic pollution.
The PLP’s objective is to pass local, state, and ultimately national legislation requiring all petro-based plastic products and bio-plastic products be clearly and accurately labeled: (a) synthetic (made from a petroleum-based source) or organic (made from a biological source); (b) the three most prominent toxic chemicals contained in each plastic product (like cigarette packs held a warning); and (c) how long each kind of petro-plastic or bio-plastic product will remain in the environment, most importantly the oceans. View our storyboard here.
It’s exceedingly important at this point in the climate crisis to pass legislation requiring all petroleum-based plastic products and bio-plastic products be clearly and accurately labeled as to what percentage they are synthetic or organic and naming the most harmful chemicals involved. This will educate consumers as to the destructive impact plastics are having on our bodies, our environment, and also place responsibility where it belongs: on the producers of plastics – the petrochemical companies.
To become a partner in this project, please reach out to NAME AND EMAIL OR CREATE GOOGLE FORM.
-Mary Polo
SFV member
Sara joined the team in 2018. She brings with her 20 years of experience in community development, philanthropy, and organizational management. She completed her bachelors at George Washington University and her masters at UC Berkeley. Her career focus has been on evaluating how community groups run from year-to-year and strengthening daily processes to increase institutional success. Sara loves travel and global development issues, particularly a non-profit she founded 10 years ago focusing on students’ access to school in Cambodia. Sara is raising her family here in San Francisco.
Maya is a public relations and communications professional with more than a decade of experience; her expertise includes consumer products and technology PR, as well as event management and content development. She has been a pro-bono consultant with the Taproot Foundation since 2012, and has participated in three service grants to date. Maya attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and graduated with a BA in mass communications and a minor in political science.