Why plastic-free?

With the average person using 0.34 kg of plastic every single day, humanity produces an astonishing 460–500 million metric tons of plastic waste each year. To put that into perspective, that’s the weight of 3,700 to 4,000 Statues of Liberty (with pedestal and base) made entirely of plastic trash—every single year.

Unlike organic matter, plastics don’t break down into harmless byproducts like CO₂ or water. The very properties that make plastics so useful—durability, flexibility, and resistance to degradation—become deeply problematic after disposal. Instead of disappearing, plastics simply fragment into smaller and smaller pieces, becoming what we call microplastics (MPs, <5 mm).

 

Over time, these MPs can be inhaled or ingested by animals and humans, where they may lodge in tissues, trigger inflammation, and cause long-term health risks. Even worse, plastics act like sponges in the environment—absorbing heavy metals and “forever chemicals” like PFAS, which they then transfer to any organism unlucky enough to consume them.

 

With only about 10% of plastics ever recycled, our plastic future looks grim unless we choose a different path. But here’s the paradox: plastics are also woven into the fabric of our daily lives. They keep blood sterile in hospitals, extend the shelf life of food, and provide unparalleled convenience.

 

This love–hate relationship with plastics is at the heart of our mission. At Plastic-Free Pals, we empower students and adults alike to understand the plastic problem and discover how everyday lifestyle changes and collective action can help turn the tide against plastic pollution.

Learn More - MPs in the Soil (ArcGIS Storymap)

Opportunity for Penn Students (Summer 2025 - Due May 19th)

 

 

Apply: https://www.phillycontaminants.com/

 

Call for Community Fellows - Apply by May 19th

 

We are seeking student community fellows at the University of Pennsylvania who will commit to working on this initiative during the 2025-2026 academic year. Student fellows will be trained in environmental sampling and analysis for emerging contaminants during an intensive week-long workshop prior to the start of the fall semester and then allowed to design their own research projects to be implemented throughout the academic year. Eligible undergraduate or graduate students may come from a variety of departments on campus including Earth and environmental science, chemistry, public health, engineering, or any other related field. For more details on potential projects and the plans for our research community, please see the blog post announcing the kick-off of our initiative.

 

Student community fellows will be awarded a small stipend of $1,000 to support their time commitment and will be expected to (1) participate in the entire training workshop to be held in August 2025, (2) select 10 locations around Philadelphia and complete sampling and environmental analysis of water quality at those locations, (3) participate in monthly community meetings, and (4) prepare a final report detailing their findings that can be publicly shared. 

 

To apply, please prepare your academic CV and a cover letter describing your interest in the opportunity, any relevant experience, what sites you would potentially be interested in studying, and what impacts you hope your project will have. Applications will be assessed based on academic background, research interests, and alignment with the objectives of the research community. For consideration, please submit your application materials as pdfs via email to sammcb@seas.upenn.edu by midnight on May 19th.

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