PlasticFreeMarin
Our mission is to promote solutions to single-use waste, organize and take action to move policy and inspire behavior change throughout Marin County.
- PFM 2024 Accomplishments
2024 has marked the 6th year of our grass roots Marin community organization, founded and dedicated to promoting solutions to single-use waste and taking action to move policy and inspire behavior change throughout Marin County.
Before we usher in 2025, we thought we’d take a look at what we accomplished together this year. These are some of the highlights as we continue in our quest:
· Marin County’s Reusable Foodware Ordinance (RFO), PFM’s first sponsored initiative, had its first year of nominal enforcement including the charge of 25¢ for single use cups.
· We used a grant to add a third business offering a reusable cup service.
· We launched a web site as a community resource and created a PFM logo (thanks to Kim Corona, graphic artist and PFM Secretary!).
· We organized a tour of Redwood Compost facility and hosted talks from haulers, Mill Valley Refuse and Marin Sanitary Service.
· We officially received non-profit status by joining with Sustainable Marin as our 501C3 sponsor.
· We were awarded a grant from Upstream that will allow us to build on “reusable cups as a service” at additional Marin small business cafes.
· We mobilized our efforts to bring reusables to Marin schools through an understanding of the (many) barriers yet identifying solutions as part of a national movement afoot.
· We participated in Earth Day and Marin Sanitary Service community celebration days.
· We had a Marin Voice urging against plastic turf in San Rafael’s Pickle Park.
· We are an official voice on Zero Waste Marin’s Local Task Force, meeting with ZWM and other Marin County representative organizations semi-monthly to further zero waste goals.
· Our monthly (2nd Tuesday 6:30-8pm) meetings, mostly on Zoom, provided the forum to share ideas, vent, hear from related speakers and prompted a couple in-person gatherings for as needed, more fun.
As 2024 concludes, we thank our growing community of concerned citizens who bring ideas, concerns, and time to the problems of plastic and single-use waste. As for 2025, we know there will be no shortage of opportunities to bring creative solutions to change systems and behavior. ACTION: BYO TAKE-OUT REUSABLES
· Marin County’s Reusable Foodware Ordinance (RFO), PFM’s first sponsored initiative, had its first year of nominal enforcement including the charge of 25¢ for single use cups.
· We used a grant to add a third business offering a reusable cup service.
· We launched a web site as a community resource and created a PFM logo (thanks to Kim Corona, graphic artist and PFM Secretary!).
· We organized a tour of Redwood Compost facility and hosted talks from haulers, Mill Valley Refuse and Marin Sanitary Service.
· We officially received non-profit status by joining with Sustainable Marin as our 501C3 sponsor.
· We were awarded a grant from Upstream that will allow us to build on “reusable cups as a service” at additional Marin small business cafes.
· We mobilized our efforts to bring reusables to Marin schools through an understanding of the (many) barriers yet identifying solutions as part of a national movement afoot.
· We participated in Earth Day and Marin Sanitary Service community celebration days.
· We had a Marin Voice urging against plastic turf in San Rafael’s Pickle Park.
· We are an official voice on Zero Waste Marin’s Local Task Force, meeting with ZWM and other Marin County representative organizations semi-monthly to further zero waste goals.
· Our monthly (2nd Tuesday 6:30-8pm) meetings, mostly on Zoom, provided the forum to share ideas, vent, hear from related speakers and prompted a couple in-person gatherings for as needed, more fun.
As 2024 concludes, we thank our growing community of concerned citizens who bring ideas, concerns, and time to the problems of plastic and single-use waste. As for 2025, we know there will be no shortage of opportunities to bring creative solutions to change systems and behavior. ACTION: BYO TAKE-OUT REUSABLES
Events/News
- Plastic pollution is changing entire Earth system, scientists find
Pollution is affecting the climate, biodiversity, ecosystems, ocean acidification and human health, according to analysis
- Authentic Solutions to Plastic pollution
Informative discussion about Ridwell (hard to recycle items picked up at your door
- Burning Injustice
Latino activists battle to shut down CA's toxic incinerator (Story of Stuff)
JOIN US!
Help Marin County become plastic free!
We meet on Zoom the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30-8 pm PST.