A Year in Review for the Plastic Pollution Coalition
The second half of 2009 has seen the birth of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, created wih the vision of a world free of plastic pollution and of the toxic impacts of plastic on humans, the environment, wildlife and marine life.
PPC aims to create a collaborative space for community, synergy, strategy and support in the battle against plastic pollution, not replacing the actions of any particular organization, but seeking to enhance them all, providing opportunities to collaborate with one another effectively, and to amplify the voice of the fight against plastic pollution worldwide.
We feel honored to have received the support of so many amazing organizations and individuals in such a short period of time. We pledge to continue to work hard in order to surpass everybodys’s expectations and to contribute as much as we can to the advancement of our common cause.
A year in review
- June 4, 2009: A meeting at the Google campus in Mountain View, California, convened by Manuel Maqueda right before World Oceans Day, becomes the seed of the Plastic Pollution Coalition.
- July 24, 2009: The Summit on Communicating Plastic Pollution in Monterey, CA, convened by Daniella Russo of Sea Studios Foundation and Think Beyond Plastics, serves as an opportunity to further discuss how a coalition could serve the growing community of organizations interested in fighting the plastic plague.
- August 4, 2009: The plan to launch the Plastic Pollution Coalition is outlined and the co-founders Lisa Boyle, Dianna Cohen, Manuel Maqueda and Daniella Russo meet and start approaching prospective advisors, supporters and members.
- September 11 -24, 2009: PPC participates in Chris Jordan’s expedition to Midway Atoll.
- October 21, 2009: PPC Launches this Website: PlasticPollutionCoalition.org
- October 23, 2009: Hundreds attend PPC Film Series “Is Plastic Washed Up?” at UCLA’s James Bridges Theater to see Tapped, Dirty Secrets, and trailers for Bag It! and Midway.
- October 24, 2009: PPC Launch Party in Malibu, hosted by The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.
- November 7-8, 2009: PPC introduces plastic pollution to hundreds of university campus sustainability leaders at the California Student Sustainability Coalition gathering.
- November 7-8, 2009: PPC presents at the Opportunity Green Conference at UCLA.
- November 11, 2009: San Francisco PPC dinner with Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi who spearheaded legislation to ban plastic bags in the city San Francisco, and with other Bay Area business, art and NGO leaders.
- November 17, 2009: PPC addresses the California Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials.
- November 20, 2009: PPC fundraising event at Zenbunni in Santa Monica, CA.
- November 23-24, 2009: PPC sets the agenda for the coming year at first annual Founders Retreat.
- December 1, 2009: Daniella Russo steps in as the Executive Director of PPC.
- December 5, 2009: PPC participates in the Marine Mammal Conservation Through the Arts Symposium at Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur.
- December 7, 2009: The PPC Store is launched in partnership with BuyGreen. A great place for purposeful Holiday gifts
- December 21, 2009: The prestigious Earth Island Institute starts the process to grant fiscal sponsorship to the Plastic Pollution Coalition.



























