Group kicks off month-long ‘Break Free from Plastic’ campaign

The Marietta Times

Jul 3, 2023

PARKERSBURG — Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action’s campaign promoting alternatives to single-use, disposable plastics began Saturday.

“We’re inviting everyone to join us as we try to make July plastic-free this summer,” said Adeline Bailey, coordinator of the project.

A calendar of activities and events designed for the Mid-Ohio Valley can be viewed online at https://main.movclimateaction.org/plastic-free-july/. It includes two free in-person screenings of films about plastic pollution, three local expert speakers on plastics’ harms to personal well-being as well as to the planet and a hands-on workshop on repurposing items for more sustainable uses.

In addition, the calendar offers links to articles and videos about ways people can refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle disposable plastics in their homes and workplaces and why eliminating single-use plastic is an important step in the fight against the climate crisis.

“We’re also sponsoring a contest,” Bailey said. “We’re planning to develop a guide to MOV businesses and restaurants that use and encourage sustainable practices in their day-to-day operations, and we realized that we couldn’t gather the information on our own. That’s why we’re calling on local folks to help us investigate by conducting a short survey about single-use plastics as they shop or dine and send us the results. All registered participants will receive a reward for their efforts. The survey questions have been assigned point values, and each of the three top point-earners will win a prize package featuring alternatives to disposable plastics.”

More information about the whens and wheres of all the campaign events can be found on the MOVCA website (http://main.movclimateaction.org), and frequent updates and announcements will be posted on MOVCA’s Facebook page.

“Look for MOVCA’s Break Free From Plastic billboards that are ‘large-size’ reminders to eliminate single-use plastics,” Bailey said. “A grant from the Mountain Watershed Association Direct Support Fund in support of our anti-plastic campaign helped make them possible.”