10-MINUTE ACTIONS

1. Take One of Our Easy Actions…then get 5 friends to Take it, Too

Friends and family are more likely to take an action when you ask them to do it and they know it’s important to you. And, if after they sign the petition or send the letter or make the phone call, they then ask five of their friends to take the action, and those people ask five friends, and so on, well, that’s how we build a movement! You can begin with any of the actions that interest you on our Take Action page.

2. Call or email three companies

Do you like a particular product or store, but you wish they would reduce or eliminate their use of plastic? Call them or send them an email telling to let them know! You might find this sample letter to grocery stores a helpful place to start. If you happen to have another two minutes free after you reach out, take a moment to also post about it on social media and tag the company or store there. This really works because companies want to keep their customers happy and they tend to be a lot more sensitive to their brand’s image on social media (especially on Twitter.)

3. Talk to a local business

Next time you’re in your local coffee shop, restaurant, or grocery store, take note of whether they use any plastic or polystyrene, such as stirrers, straws, utensils, takeout containers, or bags. Ask them to consider switching to reusable (washable) alternatives. Stay calm and be considerate. They may be resistant at first, but if they hear the same request from a few customers, it may get them thinking about making some changes. And, believe it or not, some businesses may want to change, but may be unsure how their customers will react. Your feedback can reassure them that they have loyal customers who will welcome the elimination of single-use plastic.

• Check out our sample letter for some helpful statistics and talking points.

• Download this case study showing how switching to reusables can actually save businesses money.

• If the business is using “compostable” bioplastics, you may find this sheet from commercial composters in Oregon helpful in dispelling some of the myths around bioplastics.

• If you’re attempting to convince a business to resume the use of reusable containers and bags that were banned during COVID, this letter offers helpful data points and framing.

ONE-HOUR ACTIONS

1. Spend an hour… on social media!

Why It Works

Political wars play out on Twitter and Facebook. And guess what? You’re on the front lines every day. So grab some snacks and drinks, don your most comfortable sweats, and commit a full hour to liking and sharing posts, articles, and videos that’ll do the world good. Because social media algorithms prioritize showing your friends posts from YOU over posts from us, or any other organization. 

We’ve done the heavy lifting – just visit our social media pages to find great content. Then stretch those thumbs and get ready to like, share, and post! And try not to get distracted by cat videos. 

How To Do It

1. Connect. Start by liking and following Beyond Plastics on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

2. Like, comment, and share away! Scroll through our feeds for any posts you think others might find compelling. When you see something interesting, especially if it already has lots of likes, do three things:

• Like it (or add another reaction).

• Add a supportive comment.

• MOST IMPORTANT: Share / retweet / regram it. 

3. Follow these pointers. There are a few simple ways to help ensure that more people see your posts/shares/grams/tweets when you share them. 

FACEBOOK

• Make it personal. Write a little note when you share. Add your take, or make a connection between the issue and your own life.

• Keep it short — one sentence max. Most people don’t read beyond what they can see without clicking “read more” (and they call themselves your “friends”…)

• Tag people you think may be interested, especially friends with big followings on social media, to increase the chances that they’ll actually see your post.

TWITTER

• When you retweet, add a wee bit of commentary to put your own stamp on it and, hopefully, spark more responses.

• Tag relevant profiles – this could be anyone from your Member of Congress to a reporter you know covers this topic to a friend you know is interested or that one aunt who retweets everything you tag her in, no matter what it is.

• Use hashtags to broaden your reach. Here are a few we use regularly in case it’s helpful: #PlanetOrPlastic #ThereIsNoAway #PlasticPollution #BeyondPlastics #BreakFreeFromPlastic #RefuseSingleUse #SingleUsePlastic #PlasticPollutes #OceanPlastic #PlasticFreeOceans #BanTheBag #SkipTheStraw #StrawsSuck #SuckNoMore #StopSucking #LastStraw #NoPlastic #ZeroWaste #ReduceReuseRepair #ReduceWaste #PlasticPlanet #ReuseRevolution #EmbraceReuse #WildlifeOverWaste

• Ask people to retweet. Believe it or not, adding “Pls RT” (or “Please Retweet” if you’ve got characters to spare) can help convince others to retweet. Who’d a thunk it?

INSTAGRAM

• Use those hashtags! They’re even more important on Instagram than they are on Twitter and they let you use up to a total of 30 of them so don’t be shy… in addition to all the hashtags we listed above, you may also want to add #regram to the mix.

• Tag any relevant profiles when you regram.

2. Write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper

Why It Works

Elected officials regularly read the op-ed sections of local newspapers. And they’re not alone: op-ed sections are also one of the most-read parts of any paper — making Letters to the Editor (LTEs) an effective way to reach a large audience, including your elected officials who religiously scan the letters to the editor for mentions of their names.

Even if your letter does not get published (boo!), you are still helping to educate the papers’ editors on these issues and increasing the chances that they will publish letters on this topic in the future (yay!).

How To Do It

• Make your letter relevant to their paper! Editors are MUCH more likely to print letters that are responding directly either to breaking news or an article or commentary published in the previous two issues. The typical format is to open your letter with something like: “Re your article “Should Vermont Ban Plastic Bags?” (state news, June 13)…”

• Play by their rules. Stay focused and BRIEF. Follow all the guidelines and word count limit of the target publication (usually 200 words or less). That means you really can’t try to address more than one issue in your letter — make one simple, pithy point and cut it off. 

• Do a ruthless edit before you submit. Remove every non-essential word. For example, don’t say, “I think…” – that’s obvious! Avoid using jargon or acronyms without first spelling them out. Cleaning up your language also minimizes the chance that the editor will make significant changes to your letter. 

• Just the facts, ma’am. Back up your argument using only verified facts. Take the time to check original sources rather than repeating a “fact” cited in another media outlet. Fake news is not your friend.

• Don’t be afraid to make it about you, or your hometown. Explain how readers will be affected by the issue you address and don’t be afraid to share your own reaction, informed by your place in your local community, profession, age, gender, etc.

• Make a call to action. Urge decision-makers to do something specific. Including their names in the letter is a surefire way to catch their attention. 

• Don’t let your letter get lost in the shuffle. Put your letter right in the body of your email as most papers do NOT accept attachments. If the paper does not include specific instructions about what to include in your subject line, something like “Letter re: HEADLINE OF ARTICLE YOU ARE RESPONDING TO” is a good default option. And you MUST include your contact information, including a phone number where you can be reached.

• Tell your elected officials, us, and the world if your letter gets printed. If your letter does make it into print, send a clip of it to your elected officials to make sure they’re aware of it – this can be particularly helpful if you’ve had trouble getting them to agree to a meeting. And please let us know your good news, too! Email us the link or a scanned copy of your printed letter at beyondplastics@bennington.edu and make sure to tag us if you share a link to it on social media so we can amplify it there.

DEEP DIVE ACTIONS

1. Start a local or state campaign to pass our Beyond Plastics Bill!

Schedule a meeting with your City/Town, County, and/or State representatives and ask them to introduce our Beyond Plastics bill that eliminates plastic bags, polystyrene foam, straws (except upon request), stirrers, splash guards, and balloons.

You can view and download the same bill language here.

2. Eliminate single use plastic from your campus OR workplace!

Visit our campus organizing resources page to get all the information you need to move your campus or workplace beyond plastics.