CU Boulder 31st Annual Campus Sustainability Summit

This panel will explore the impacts of single-use plastics and how we can reduce, if not eliminate, this source of waste from CU Boulder.  In solidarity with “Planet vs. Plastics”—the global theme for Earth Day 24—CU joins the campaign to call for the end of plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of plastics by 2040 with an ultimate goal of building a plastic-free future for generations to come. 
 
The problems with plastics extend beyond an imminent environmental issue; they present a grave threat to human health as alarming as climate change. As plastics break down into microplastics, they release toxic chemicals into our food and water sources and circulate through the air we breathe. Plastic production has grown to more than 380 million tons per year. More plastic has been produced in the last ten years than in the entire 20th century, and the industry plans to grow explosively for the indefinite future.
 
Join us as we discuss what CU Boulder is currently doing to reduce the use of single-use plastics, explore what else we can do in our community to combat single-use plastic waste, and learn how CU can support state and community initiatives seeking to reduce Colorado’s plastic use!