The Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle Webinar

Last month, we released our report titled “Hidden Hazards: The Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle” which explores the many health harms of plastics production, the potential health effects of consuming beverages in plastic bottles, and dangers to workers and communities from recycling and disposal.

Las week, report co-author Mike Belliveau, Defend’s Executive Director was joined by Port Arthur Community Action Network’s Executive Director John Beard Jr., who shared his experience of exposures to chemicals used to produce PET plastic beverage bottles on a webinar hosted by the Collaborative for Health & Environment. Both speakers discussed findings that exposures to these chemicals falls disproportionately on communities of color and low-income people, largely in the Gulf Coast and Southeast US.

Based on our findings, we’re urging all beverage companies to take action to achieve zero discharge of cancer-causing chemicals along the PET supply chain, and end the use of virgin fossil-based PET plastic by 2040 to help solve the climate crisis – and we’re starting by calling out The Coca-Cola Company.

Check out the webinar: