July is Lake Appreciation Month

Missouri Stream Teams are encouraging Missouri businesses to participate in Plastic Free July: A Missouri Business Challenge in July in celebration of July being Missouri’s “Lake Appreciation Month.” Plastic pollution is an increasingly urgent and widely recognized problem in Missouri. We see it everywhere—from local parks and sports facilities to schools and grocery stores. Between the 1950s and 2019, global plastic production increased from 2.2 million metric tons to 460 million metric tons—a 230-fold increase. Annual production is projected to reach an estimated 1.5 billion metric tons by 2050. More than 40% of plastic 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, and air quality. Small plastic particles have even been found throughout the human body, with growing evidence linking them to potential negative health impacts. Plastic particles—and the more than 16,000 chemicals associated with plastic products—have been associated with cancer, fertility challenges, neurodevelopmental disorders, obesity, and many more health concerns.

This July, Missouri Stream Teams are encouraging businesses in your community to take actions to reduce their use of single-use plastics. These actions help raise public awareness of plastic pollution while encouraging local solutions. Case studies from across the country show that businesses that implement plastic-reduction strategies can often save money over time—benefiting businesses’ bottom line while protecting human health and natural resources. We invite you to join the challenge and encourage local businesses to participate. Together, we can work towards a cleaner, healthier Missouri.