From a child playing on an artificial turf field to a family drinking from a contaminated well, plastic pollution is putting everyone at serious risk. These products don’t just create waste, they leach toxic chemicals like PFAS into drinking water, release dangerous gases when burned, and break down into microplastics that people unknowingly ingest or inhale every day. Based in central Pennsylvania, Move Past Plastic (MPP) is helping people understand where plastics show up in their lives and how to avoid them. Founded in 2021, the group leads hands-on education campaigns, pushes for local and national laws to curb plastic use, and creates tools that make safer choices more accessible. In 2023, they partnered with the Thriving Earth Exchange to monitor water quality in the Conodoguinet Creek watershed and developed public maps showing areas at risk. Whether through plastic-use reduction challenges or campaigns to ban chemicals like vinyl chloride, MPP gives residents and local leaders the knowledge they need to protect their health and environment.
Tamela Trussell doesn’t want her tax dollars subsidizing the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries.
Move Past Plastic is led by a small team of volunteers responding to the growing danger of plastic pollution. Sponsored by the TLC Foundation, MPP aims to correct public misconceptions, including the false belief that recycling can solve the plastic crisis. Most plastics can’t be recycled and instead accumulate in landfills, waterways, and the human body. The group offers practical alternatives, like zero-waste shopping guides and plastic-free product recommendations, and works with local leaders to push for stronger regulations. MPP also helped lead a “Climate Clock” campaign with over 60 partners to show how plastic production and disposal drive climate change, contributing up to 2.8 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Their work benefits families worried about contaminated water, students exposed to artificial turf, small businesses seeking safer packaging, and voters demanding cleaner, safer communities. With more than 30 campaigns, partnerships in 15 states and 6 countries, and regular community outreach, MPP is working toward a safer, more sustainable future.