Student-led community action plan created and presented during an Ambassador Leadership Summit in 2018 at Harvard University.

1. Students Against Plastic Pollution
S.A.P.P.
Cecilia, Gracie, Olivia, A, Alex, Cat, Keira, Holden, Johny, Rodrigo, Jackson

2. AD

3. Effects of Plastic
● Great Pacific Garbage Patch
● Near extinction of about 700 marine
animals
● Air pollution
● Our health
● Global warming

4. Facts and Stats
● Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles last year
● Rate of recycling is only 23%
● More than $1 billion worth of plastic is wasted each year
● Only costs $30 per ton to recycle but $50 per ton to take garbage to the
landfill

5. Alternatives to Plastic
● Reusable cups/water bottles
● Non-disposable utensils
● Eliminate straws/reusable straws
● Reusable containers/lunch bags vs. brown bags
● Buy in bulk
● Bamboo utensils

6. Reusable Cups vs. Hard Plastic
● Less expensive in the long run
● Cups are washed and used again
● Eliminates plastic waste

7. Non-Disposable Utensils vs. Stainless Steel
● Reusable
● Eliminates waste
● Less costly than constant buying of plastic utensils in long run

8. Eliminate Straws or Use Reusable Straws
● Straws aren’t necessary in schools and should be completely eliminated
○ Straws are polluting the oceans and hurting wildlife
● Schools can use biodegradable straws, which can be broken down in only
180 days
○ Plastic straws take years to biodegrade

9. Reusable Containers vs. Plastic Bags
● Tupperware containers
○ Last for a long time
○ Reusable
● Plastic wraps or bags for sandwiches are harmful for
the environment

10. Buying in Bulk vs. Individual Bags
Buying in Bulk
● Save money
● Less plastic waste
● Example: Potato chips could be put in a basket and students could take the
amount they want instead of wasting plastic when using a prepackaged bag.
Individual Bags
● Wasting plastic after food is consumed.

11. $5,000 wasted per day
Cost of Plastic Water Bottle VS
Cost of Refillable Water Bottle

12. $900,000 wasted per
school year (180 days)
Cost of Plastic Water Bottle VS
Cost of Refillable Water Bottle

13. $21,200 per school year
(180 days)
Cost of Plastic Water Bottle VS
Cost of Refillable Water Bottle

14. Why do People Buy Plastic?
● People purchase plastic for a few reasons, one of these reasons: it is cheap
and reduces labor costs.
● “Webstraunt" is an online company where restaurant owners can purchase
disposable cutlery made of plastic, along with other items.
● On this site for $17.02 you can get 3-9 cases of 1000 forks, this is $306.26
cheaper than eco friendly bamboo forks which is $323.28 for 1000 forks.
● What this means is that the cost of 19 plastic forks is equivalent to the cost of
1 bamboo fork.

15. Non-Profit Organizations that can Help Reduce
Plastic Waste in Schools
● Green Schools National Network
○ Their goal is to move schools to zero waste
○ This organization enforces more recycling, composting, and training and educating schools
about waste
● Green Schools Alliance
○ Teach students about becoming leaders and sustainability
○ “The Alliance connects more than 13,000 sustainability champions across 9,000+ schools,
districts, and organizations from 48 U.S. states and 91 countries.”

16. Action Plan
1. Educate school body on the negative effects of plastic
2. Pitch idea to school board
3. Buy the resources
4. Partner with a non-profit organization
5. Encourage the student body to use them and spread the word
6. Follow this plan to the next level

17. Vision and Why We Care
● The use of plastic in schools to be reduced significantly
● We want the generations after us to have many species of marine animals
● A cleaner world
● Help animals live in a safe environment
● There is only one world
● Help our health
● Preserve biodiversity
● Preserve our resources

18. Obstacles We Could Face
● Prices of alternative resources
● Rejection of action plan by school board
● Plastic industry resistance

19. What Can YOU Do?
● Write to your local school and petition for change
● Spread the word in your community
● Reduce your own use of disposable plastics
● Educate your peers
● Hold fundraisers to support your endeavors
● Use alternatives to plastic
● Buy products unwrapped or wrapped in paper/foil
● Warn the community of the consequences of plastic usage
● Use reusable grocery bags

20. Thank
You
Support S.A.P.P.

21. Works Cited
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/this-material-made-from-air-could-help-us-fight-climate-change/
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/marine-species-extinction-and-plastic-pollution/
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-plastic-pollution.php
https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/sustainable/5-plastic-substitutes9.htm
https://www.google.com/amp/s/helpsavenature.com/effects-of-plastic-pollution.amp
https://www.wavesnotplastic.org
https://www.goodnet.org/articles/5-incredible-organizations-that-are-making-worlds-oceans-cleaner
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw9qfZBRA5EiwAiq0AbeyJxMwaJrWzD5a9R54hQeaSJJjuGtNrAlHZLfxQsRqF8UM-
Zv7I1BoCEAcQAvD_BwE
https://www.guidestar.org/profile/13-3831327