Thank you for lending your voice to this worthy endeavor.
Please share with friends and associates. Encourage them to join with us in speaking out in our own words. Got something to say?
Send us photographs and we’ll post on the state page where plas tic pollution is happening.
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Now we all have plastic pollution IN our bodies. This is not good. Sarah McKee, Amherst MA
At least 78% of the priority pollutants identified by the EPA are known to be associated with plastic marine debris, as toxic pollutants can stick to the surfaces of plastics. So when sea creatures eat plastic bags or plastic soda rings, not only can it take up room in their stomachs, preventing them from getting the nutrients they need, but it can be full of toxic pollutants it’s picked up in the water! Plastic debris weathers over time, which increases its affinity for chemical absorption. This means the accumulation of chemicals on plastic debris will increase with time in seawater, potentially making them even more hazardous to animals that ingest the debris. Dorothy Cooperson Vieweg, Arlington MA
Act to save wildlife. Pass the Break Free from Plastic Pollution bill to more than wildlife. MaryAnna Foskett, Arlington MA
We are destroying our ocean life by disposing of plastics in our ocean. We need the living creatures in the ocean for humanity to survive. The stress of the use of plastics in this world worries me so much, I can’t wait till the day we design materials to take the place of plastic. Doreen Gallien, Athol MA
If we don’t preserve the oceans from nitrate runoff and plastic and chemicals, and if we don’t preserve it from acidification, and if we don’t preserve it from grotesque overfishing – too much money chasing too few fish – we’re going to have in peril the most massive ecosystem on the planet. John F. Kerry, Boston MA
There is no way we can eliminate all plastics, but a large number of plastic materials are unnecessary given the risk /benefit ratio; to us and our environment. The large plastic masses in the ocean are a visual side effect, but the risks of the lesser seen breakdown of plastics into the water and hence air systems is still yet unknown. They were hopefully not created with the intent to kill large numbers of animals and poison our waters, but now that we know this is one of the side effects we need to act now to slow, hopefully reverse one day, the destruction that many plastics create. Their end use was not taken into consideration from the beginning. Recycling was never the complete answer since it uses fossil fuel energy to recycle and the obtaining of and use of fossil fuels have their own risks to the public health. Support this bill. It will benefit me morally, to know producers are to be kept responsible for the design, implementation and life-cycle of their products. To engage with the public and create services and products should come with a level of responsibility, of foresight and care for how ones action whether at the individual, small business or corporate level impact the larger fabric of society. Nora Hussey, Boston MA
Our planet is a living entity that we are a part of. It will not survive if we continue to pollute. We have arrived to a point where such a possibility endangers all living creature of the planet. Reducing pollution is not just a matter of personal benefit, it´s a matter of all living creatures survival. People should stop striving for more ” human welfare” and think about the welfare of all living creatures. Marina Sagardua, Boston MA
I am worried that many plastic containers cannot be or are not being recycled. It is time to stop adding to the trash in the oceans and on our land! Support this bill for a cleaner, less toxic planet. Elizabeth Steen, Brighton MA
Plastic takes centuries to decompose. And most of it gets discarded. We need to come up with alternatives that prevent the manufacture of plastic in the first place. Michael Monroe, Brookline MA
On my daily walks with my dogs around my neighbourhood, I routinely fill a grocery bag of plastic trash from the streets. And I understand scientists estimate that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. We cannot continue to treat our beautiful planet like a garbage dump. We must act now. I fear desperately for the future of my children and grandchildren. Lisa Landsverk, Cambridge MA
The plastic bottle we’re throwing away every day still stays there. And if we show that to people, then we can also promote some behavioral change. . .. When you have all these traces of trash moving around, you can ask yourself how can we make the system more efficient. Then we can make better decisions. And perhaps we will not throw away the plastic bottles that go every day to the dump. Carlo Ratti, Cambridge MA
Plastic pollution is choking our oceans and killing fish and wildlife. The break free from plastic pollution act would help to create a world where my five-year-old son could experience the amazing diversity of life on this planet, rather than suffer the unraveling of the web of life. Gabriel Robinson, Cambridge MA
It is clear that we are all coping with the pandemic. But, now is the time that we need to be thinking about the world and economy that we want to rebuild when the Coronavirus crisis has abated. This crisis may pale in comparison to the disruption that destroying our environment brings. Please, don’t lose sight of the long run as you deal with the short run. As a grandmother, I will be gone, but my family won’t, and I yearn to die feeling hope for their future. Thank you. Ann Woll, Cambridge MA
Plastic was created in my lifetime, and it has become a primary pollutant in my lifetime, as well. Yes, it is convenient. Yes, it is cheaper for shipping. But, it is killing our food stock (fish and birds), the chemicals used to make it are destroying our potable water sources, its feed stock (oil) is destroying our environment and livable climate. We need to do away with our great invention before it destroys us. I would have hope of leaving a livable climate and environment to my children (2) and my grandchildren (3). I will die having tried to right the wrong my generation has inflicted on humanity. Sound big – but… it is. Ann Woll, Cambridge MA
Reduction of fossil fuel usage which results in a decrease of greenhouse gas emissions which results in reduced climate change effects. It also enhances the quality of our land and waterways as well as the health of wildlife and human life. Ken Canty, Dudley MA
Plastics are over flowing the ocean. Forever products need to be used as little as possible. Support this bill for improved health. Robb Hoehlein, E Falmouth MA
There is no Plan B for any wildlife. No Plan B for our earth, either. We must stop polluting our only home. Plastics last forever so even stopping to produce them now will not diminish their toxic effect for generations to come. I have 15 grandchildren. This act may not affect me, but it sure will benefit them and their children and grandchildren. Don Mallinson, E. Falmouth MA
When marine animals are dying of plastic in their systems, and micro plastic is found in the air at the Arctic, we know that we must do what’s necessary to fix this. There are so many other ways to contain things, to wrap things, and to carry things, that we can do away with plastic for these needs. It’s something we can all adapt to doing, and it’s the right thing to do. Pass this bill! Lee Bartell, Eastham MA
As a retired marine scientist from the Fisheries Lab in Woods Hole, I am quite concerned about micro- and annoying-plastics in marine biota. The Woods hole Oceanographic Institution held an international conference on this topic in 2019 and has supported new research under it’s Sea Grant Program. The consequence to humans of consuming plastic laden seafood is unknown (especially since micro plastics adsorb toxic chemicals). These micro- and nanno- plastics can enter the ocean from sewage treatment outfalls which are becoming more frequent here on Cape Cod as we reduce nitrogen loading from septic systems. The Joint Base Cape Cod wastewater treatment plant may be taken over by the Town of Barnstable and expanded with an ocean outfall in Nantucket Sound, off of Falmouth. I try to eat seafood at least once per week (which is hard to do with restaurants closed and limited seafood stocks in Super Markets as a result of COVI-19 pandemic). I used to be the recreational fisheries coordinator in the Northeast and most beach parking lots on Cape Cod have been closed which negatively effects saltwater angling (harming our blue economy denying residents the opportunity to do an enjoyable activity outside). Therefore, Representative Keating, I urge you join with the rest of the Massachusetts delegation in support this bill. David Dow, East Falmouth MA
I want to end plastic pollution because it causes so many unnecessary deaths of animals. The factories that make plastic products are polluting our air and water! I want it to stop now! Support this bill. I would be very happy to see plastic pollution disappear as it would keep our water and air cleaner. Everyone benefits from clean water and air!! Holly Tetreault, East Longmeadow MA
Either we take care of our environment, or nothing else will matter. Plastic has become a world wide tragedy. Marine animals and birds are eating it, and it’s killing them. Patches in the ocean are just plastic, acres of plastic. We must get away from single use plastic bottles. Refillable bottles are what we need. That’s something that can be done. Support this bill. It would bring a huge smile to my face seeing folks drinking from refillable bottles. Ditto, seeing folks bringing shopping bags into the market (though now, during COVID-19, that’s not possible). Anything that we can do to reduce plastic, is helping to pass on to our children and grandchildren, a safer, more ecologically sound world. Lee Bartell, Eastham MA
Ocean plastic pollution is killing marine mammals, and ruining our beaches. I live at the ocean and see plastics strewn all over the beaches. Kathleen Mortenson, Falmouth MA
Support this plastics bill for animal welfare, beatification, and peace of mind! Ellen Sullivan, Franklin MA
The plastic breaks down and affects species all the way up the food chain. Additionally, because plastic is a petroleum product, it supports the fossil fuel industry which is the underlying source of the deepening climate crisis. Support this bill. It would create a healthier environment for everyone and a chance for a better future for my grandchildren. Susan Blain, Gardner MA
Plastic pollution negatively impacts all aspects of life. It is one of the world’s deadliest inventions and we need to stop it! Support this bill, Representative Keating. My time in nature would be more enjoyable. Also knowing that wildlife will be safer makes me feel a whole lot better. Kaitlyn Carpenter, Hanson MA
Disposable plastic is a recent addiction. Just a few decades ago, people found and used other ways to store, pack and carry things. PLASTICS ARE FOREVER… with even so-called bio-degradable plastics breaking down to tiny particles. Our waters and soils are polluted with plastic, from shards of styrofoam to nanoparticles of plastic bags… indigestible to bacteria in the earth or to the animals who strangle themselves or die of blocked passageways. END THE ADDICTION TO DISPOSABLE PLASTIC NOW! Because I love the earth and want its life-forms to survive, I would be grateful to see us break free from plastic. In honesty… yes, I’ll miss the convenience of plastic bags, bottles and packing. But the healthy future of our ecosystem is what matters most. Paula Myles, Harwich MA
We don’t want to inherit a mess. Support this bill. Wolfgang Burger, Haverhill MA
We must save the world for our children. Nancy Burger, Haverhill MA
No more plastic bags and bottles back to glass. Michael Deangelis, Haverhill MA
Plastic is choking our planet and killing wildlife. We need to go back to glass, we did not have this problem in the fifties. Glass is made from sand, it would break down back into sand, and not entangle sea life. Andi Gibson, Holyoke MA
We’re at a tipping point. The environment can no longer sustain our single-use, throw away society. Plastic pollution is the poster boy for our behavior. It must stop for the future of our children and grandchildren. For the future of the planet. It would help to ensure a better future for my children, grandchildren and the planet. Dennis Rogers, Hubbardston MA
Plastic pollution is killing ocean wildlife. It is being injested and found in the stomachs of dead ocean birds, fish and marine mammals. Support this bill. It would help to stop the climate change that is affecting me by the more intense weather events we’re experiencing and help keep plastic off the beaches that I enjoy. Sherry Weiland, Hudson MA
PBS is doing a report on plastics & the oil industry, next week on NOVA perhaps. Support this bill. We might just save the planet. Donald Di Russo, Hyde Park MA
Our planet and all its inhabitants deserve better!! Support this bill. It would support my reduce, reuse, and recycle lifestyle. Deborah Straker, Lawrence MA
Humankind cannot survive without healthy, thriving ocean life. Plastic of all kinds is destroying ocean ecosystems. Not to mention the humans damage from micro and nano-plastics. I care about the lives of my children and grandchildren. They need a healthy planet! John Lynch, Lincoln MA
Sweeping externalities under the rug (such as the inevitable and epidemic pollution and landfill waste) incurred during the production and distribution of plastic, this must stop. Instead, manufacturers of plastic must include the long-term costs of plastics in the environment into the cost of selling their products. Sponsor this bill, Rep Keating, and legislate that ALL plastics must have a viable market to accept and recycle that product. If there is no viable market, then the manufacturers must pay recyclers to accept plastic picked out of our waste streams. The cost will go up for those plastics which have no market. The cost will stay the same or go down for those plastics that have a viable market. Within a few years the system will self-correct and manufacturers will produce that which is viable. Less packaging to recycle. Michael Sullivan, Marshfield Hills MA
Our wildlife, the environment we all share, is being destroyed by plastic pollution. Our oceans are full of plastic; our landfills are overflowing. There are other materials we can use! We should use less “disposable” items. The only reason our planet stayed clean for thousands of years of humanity before now is that we didn’t dump millions of tons of plastic all over it. This Act would benefit me the same way it will benefit us all! It will help us to begin the process of cleaning up the dump we have turned our planet into. It will help to modernize how we use and consume products, the types of products that are available to us, how to teach future generations a new respect for our world–and how to learn from the mistakes we made when we inadvertently almost destroyed it. Pilar Quintana, Methuen MA
We do not have to take such advantage of plastic. It is a tool. Not a crutch. Not curbing our need for so much disposability just shows how truly disconnected we are from the earth. If we take time to respect ourselves, we will begin to notice how easily we can do without. Thank you for sponsoring this bill. I would be so much happier not seeing so much trash on my neighborhood walks. Eve Costarelli, Natick MA
It’s ruining our oceans, damaging many sea animals, and thus ruining our future. Harry Hersh, Natick MA
The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act would benefit me as a human being who lives on this planet, as a mother and grandmother. We need to stop polluting our planet with substances that will be with us forever–and are now found even in small crustaceans at the bottom of the ocean. Sybil Schlesinger, Natick MA
Healthy oceans mean people will be healthy as well. My family and I swim in the ocean every summer, I am disgusted that people are dumping their plastic trash in it and killing sea life! Peter Smith, Newton MA
When I saw The Graduate in 1968, “plastic” was the answer to the investment world–the gift to all in the future. Well, 50 odd years later, that gift is killing everything that made the world wonderful. What might have been worthy inventions and inspirations have been turned into obscenities of destruction by irresponsible scientists, manufacturers, and users. We overdid it and must now undo it. It would help free my grandchildren from the plague of a throw-away society and restore some balance between investment and societal value. Judith Eiseman, Pelham MA
Plastic pollution is an existential threat to our public health, the environment of our communities the planet. We are eating and breathing Microplastics complete with carcinogens and endocrine disrupters. Wildlife is being gravely injured and killed. The chemicals spewing from plastics manufacturing plants are polluting and injuring communities, as well as depleting their water supplies to make it, and it has a huge carbon footprint. I do my best to reduce single use plastic use, but it’s almost impossible because the packaging industry is so entrenched. Our community’s waste handlers are paying the price to get rid of it, and it’s really not going anywhere but in landfills or burned-creating more pollution. Producers of this need to stop, and they need to pay the true price of plastic production to the environment. Renee D’Argento, Pepperell MA
Plastic is killing our oceans and the amazing creatures who live there. The oceans are life giving and life sustaining for all who live on this planet. As it dies, so do we all. I can only say that for more than me at 62 years of age, this bill will allow the oceans to begin healing for future generations, and save the beautiful plants and animals who call it home. That is everything. It pains me to see what we are doing to this beautiful planet. Ellen Devecis, Reading MA
Plastic harms whole ecosystems through the damage it does. I want to give my son a healthier planet. We can’t let plastic continue to accumulate and overwhelm the earth. Elana Katz Rose, Sharon MA
We are drowning in plastic. Studies show that we are even consuming micro plastics. We are destroying the environment, animals, and ourselves. There are alternatives! Thank you for sponsoring this bill. If passed, I would live in a more beautiful world, in harmony with nature, and be healthier and happier. Amy McCoy, Shelburne Falls MA
Plastics are an enormous problem. Global production is more than three hundred million metric tons per year. Calculating the weight of all the people living on earth, that would about equal the weight of plastic produced in a year (used by less than a third of the global population). Unfortunately for nature and the places we live in, the majority of plastic produced is consumed as disposable packaging. An American discards about his or her body weight in plastics every year. Bioplastics are a viable alternative. Corn-based sneakers by Reebok. Over fertilization of corn is the result of the big two companies pushing their products irresponsibly. Don’t blame the corn. Land is not being diverted from food production. Rather, bioplastics provide a market for the corn stalks, the majority of the plant (which should be ground up for fertilizer but fixing nitrogen from the air with natural gas is so profitable.) Bioplastics do not detract from feeding people. Americans throw out enough food scraps to feed the eight hundred million starving people around the globe. Rob Moir, Somerville MA
Less plastic production will use less fossil fuels, like coal and natural gas. Less manufacturing of these single-use and disposable products will decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Thank you for sponsoring this bill. Steve Ollove, South Hamilton MA
Marine plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species. The impacts include fatalities as a result of ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, drowning, and entanglement. The reason marine animals are starving from plastic pollution is their stomachs become full of plastic that they cannot digest. The ingestion of plastic can also cause more immediate health risks, such as organs being punctured by sharp pieces of plastic. Obviously this causes a swift and unpleasant death for the animal. Dan Willis, Southborough MA
We’re rapidly killing our oceans with all the plastic! Stop the cruise ships from dumping their refuse in the oceans! Let’s save all the marine animals. Donalyn Gross, Springfield MA
Protect the legacy we are leaving our children by reducing plastic and ensuring that ALL of what is produced is recyclable. Even though I recycle and compost I would have far less “trash” to bring to my transfer station because most of my “trash” is one-time use plastic. Alan Papscun, Stockbridge MA
It’s unhealthy and causes a blight on our planet. Cleaner environment since most people don’t take this seriously. Jeanne Maloney, Sudbury MA
I read that in a decade the amount of plastic in the oceans will be greater than the amount of fish. The Almighty made one world. I want my kids and grandkids to have a life in it as well. Alfred Mancini, Tewksbury MA
Plastic is killing our ocean wildlife (birds, mammals, and fish) in many ways and is terrible for the water by releasing chemicals and is just plain hugely polluting. Passage of this bill would give me a sense of us moving in the right direction in restoring and caring for our waters, planet and wildlife for the future. Sarah Stewart, Watertown MA
The oceans are filling up. Soon there will be no room left for marine life. Anything that reduces the gross imbalance in our ecosystems is going to be hugely beneficial to me (and the rest of the human race). Alice Cheang, Wayland MA
The amount of plastic in our oceans is greatly harming the fish and mammals and threatening their survival. Sponsor this bill, Rep Keating. It would benefit all of mankind. Carole McAuliffe, Wellfleet MA
The break free from plastic pollution bill should not need explanation. Rep Keating, please sponsor this bill. Pass this bill for the world to be a better place, all who call it home will benefit. Joel Maguire, West Barnstable MA
Small plastic particles in the ocean can be ingested by marine life, harming or killing them. As the ocean goes, so go we as humans. Our survival depends on the health of the oceans. Plastic pollution is a grave threat to the health of the ocean and its inhabitants. Louise Hetzler, Westborough MA
It is choking our earth out. We need to find alternative, biodegradable methods. Pass this bill and hopefully wouldn’t see so much plastic washed up on beaches. Preserve ocean life for future generations. Gail Veiby, Westborough MA
I live on the ocean and I know how much we need to stop polluting it. Rep Keating, sponsor this bill. It will protect fish and wildlife, and a quality of life we all cherish. Dorothy Anderson, Weymouth MA
Our oceans and our bodies are now full of plastic. By reducing plastic pollution, you will help make a healthier world for all creatures on earth. My family could be healthier. Jay Caplan, Whately MA
We need to protect our planet NOW. Bridget Spann, Williamstown MA
It never biodegrades completely. Meaning it will always be around polluting, killing other life, and degrading the beauty of this planet. Brad McDonough, Woburn MA
Birds and marine life risk choking in it. Beth Kaplan, Worcester MA
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