P3’s MISSION:
AWARENESS
AWARENESS
AWARENESS
To raise awareness of the wildly harmful effects of SINGLE-USE PLASTICS
EDUCATION
AWARENESS
AWARENESS
To educate our community about ways to REDUCE our plastic consumption
ADVOCACY
AWARENESS
ADVOCACY
To advocate for local legislation that would help STOP PLASTIC-POLLUTION
P3's CAMPAIGN & PROGRAMS:
P3 is committed to finding any and all ways to help end the scourge of plastic pollution in our community and beyond. We believe it will take a multi-pronged approach to dramatically change our habits, so we embrace the work of the many other great organizations working on various aspects of this waste/consumption problem and aim to coordinate all of our efforts to truly build a full-scale community response. Some specific actions and programs we're rolling out in this phase-one of the campaign:
- AWARENESS EVENTS: P3 was inaugurated Jan. 4th, 2019 with a special 'sold-out' musical event at FTC's "Stage One" that included booths and presentations from a dozen local organizations (and school programs) working on various facets of the plastic pollution problem. Special events since included the award winning documentary "Straws" co-presented with Earthplace, followed by a panel discussion on ways for families to reduce their plastic consumption. P3 also raised the funds to start the first official "Composting" program at Saugatuck Elementary School in Westport (which has been embraced by the SES PTA, and now the Town of Westport with the installation of composting services available now at the Town Landfill. More info HERE) (Don't forget to sign our email list to get announcements about future events!)
- P3 JUNIOR CLUB: Elaborating on the good work some of our founding-members have already been doing in our community (Ashley Moran teaches extensively about plastic pollution at Saugatuck Elementary School and Andrew Colabella has already engaged 38 local restaurants to undertake a plastics-alternative plan even before Westport passed its recent ban on many single-use plastics in food service businesses)-- P3 will incorporate these efforts into an education/action program that invites local school children to help find more ways to dramatically reduce our community's plastic waste.
- P3 AWARDS: To further attract attention to the problem and its solutions, P3 will identify individuals and businesses making great strides to combat plastic pollution in our community and present them with the "P3 Leadership Citations",
- LOCAL PR: Last, but certainly not least, P3 intends to use all forms of grassroots, local press and online/social "advertising" to gain the attention of our community to the urgent problem of plastic pollution-- and actions we all can take to dramatically REDUCE our plastic waste!
WE CAN STOP PLASTIC-POLLUTION RIGHT HERE AT HOME!
FOLLOWING IN WESTPORT'S TRADITION OF LEADERSHIP ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, "P3" AIMS TO SERVE WESTPORT's COMMITMENT TO NETZERO BY 2050 IN COMPLEMENT TO THE EFFORTS OF THE MANY GREAT ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN LIKE EARTHPLACE AND WAKEMAN TOWN FARM -- AND IN SPECIFIC FOCUS TO THE URGENT PROBLEM OF PLASTIC-POLLUTION. ELEVEN YEARS AGO, WESTPORT WAS THE FIRST TOWN EAST OF THE MISSIPPI RIVER TO BAN THE PLASTIC-BAG (AN EFFORT CO-LED BY P3's OWN LIZ MILWE) AND AS OF MAY 7, 2019 WE ARE PROUD THAT WESTPORT IS AGAIN A NATIONAL LEADER ON THIS IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL SUBJECT JUST HAVING PASSED GROUND-BREAKING LEGISLATION BANNING MANY SINGLE-USE PLASTICS IN LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND BUSINESSES. P3 WILL STRIVE TO KEEP WESTPORT AT THE FOREFRONT OF NATIONAL LEADERSHIP ON PLASTIC POLLUTION ACTIVISM AND ACTION!
PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING P3 BY DONATING (see home page), VOLUNTEERING.... & REDUCING YOUR PLASTIC-WASTE!
"P3" founding members:
Andrew Colabella
is a Westport native and the youngest RTM-member ever elected to office in Westport. He serves on PAC Cribari Bridge, Green Task Force, Environment Committee, Health & Human Services, RTM Public Protection, and RTM Public Works. Andrew’s passion for the environment also extends to his civilian life, where he has personally engaged 38 local restaurants (and franchises) to find biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics and other harmful products. “The goal is to help these establishments provide eco-friendly alternatives to their customers while reducing costs on products and expanding the inventory life for restaurant owners. Only together can we help Westport reach ‘NetZero by 2050’ along with the 1200 other towns who have signed this pledge as world-leaders in the goal of zero waste.”
Liz Milwe
is a choreographer and dance filmmaker. She has been on the faculty of Sarah Lawrence College and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts teaching dance to actors. She won an Environmental Merit Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency and a Westport Green Task Award for her work banning plastic bags in Westport, CT. She has curated an environmental art show "In The Bag" that has travelled around the world. Liz has served multiple terms on Westport's RTM. "Change will not come if we wait for some person, or if we wait for some other time." -Barack Obama
Ashley Moran
is a Westport resident and teacher at Saugatuck Elementary School, having taught for 27 years in both California and Washington before settling in Connecticut 23 years ago. She was a founding board member of Nurturing Minds in Africa, a non-profit supporting the education of poor and at-risk girls in Tanzania, and believes that it is through education that meaningful change can happen. “Our children are looking to us to lead. It is time the adults in children’s communities educate themselves on the harmful toll that waste of all kinds is having on our planet. Two kinds of waste that can be immediately diminished are plastic and food. Let’s do this!”
Greg Naughton
grew-up in Weston & Westport to a family of performers. He is a founding-member of folk-rock band The Sweet Remains, as well as a filmmaker and producer. “My 9 yr-old son came home from school with some information about plastic-pollution from his teacher, Ashley Moran. Their studies asked me to imagine all the plastic straws I’d ever used in my lifetime, and to realize that virtually ALL of them were still lingering in the environment somewhere! Its easy to be cynical about solving these problems— but ending our use of plastic straws, for instance, is a no-brainer. I’m honored to join Westport’s long tradition of environmental leadership and thrilled that we can take meaningful action against plastic-pollution right here, right now!”
Wendy Goldwyn Batteau
was inspired by her first boss, the editor of the classic Silent Spring, to co-found Sierra Club Books. She went on to work for decades as an award-winning editor/executive at major NY book publishers, collaborating with such associates as “Rolling Stone”, “The New Yorker,” Audubon, and The Ocean Alliance. “I believe progress is spurred by knowledge, so many of ‘my’ books concern the interconnections of environment, health, and politics. Today we know plastic-waste trashes beaches, contributes ingredients to the chemical soup our oceans are becoming, harms aquatic life, and profoundly affects human biology. The European Union Parliament recently approved banning single-use plastics. It’s easy to substitute acceptable alternatives. Now here it is up to us.”