Missouri Stream Teams encourage Missouri businesses to reduce plastic use in July in celebration of Missouri’s “Lake Appreciation Month”

Missouri – This July, Missouri Stream Teams are encouraging businesses in your community to take voluntary actions to reduce their use of single-use plastics. Plastic pollution is an increasingly urgent and widely recognized problem in Missouri, and many Missourians are searching for community-level solutions, presenting a unique opportunity for businesses to lead.

There has been an exponential increase in plastic production since the 1950’s and more than 40% of plastic produced is designed for single-use purposes, often used for less than 15 minutes before being discarded. Much of this waste (over 90%) is landfilled, incinerated, or is lost to the environment.

For more than 35 years, Missouri Stream Teams have cleaned up trash from culverts, under bridges, along streambanks, and in roadside ditches. A large portion of this debris is single-use plastic—bottles, cups, straws, bags, utensils, take-out containers, and more. Over time, these materials break into smaller fragments and can impact water quality, soil health, air quality, and human health, with links to cancer, obesity, fertility challenges, and more.

Learn more and make your pledge today by visiting https://www.streamteamsunited.org/plastic-free-july.html. Take action this July for a cleaner, healthier Missouri for generations to come.