Success Stories
"The key to the future of the world is finding optimistic stories and letting them be known." ~ Pete Seeger
We are actively gathering community success stories and initiatives focused on reducing plastic waste and pollution in New Hampshire. To share a success story about how your community or organization has helped to raise awareness about plastic waste and pollution, please fill out the short form at the link below. Working together, we can build on and learn from each others successes!
- Local Success Stories
Dover - Proclamation for Plastic Pollution Reduction Month
Lebanon - Styrofoam Collection Event
Portsmouth - Styrofoam & Single Use Plastic Bag Ban
Walpole - Fall Mountain Teens Work to Pass Single Use Plastic Bag Ban
Sustainable Lebanon - Polystyrene Collection Day
New Hampshire (Ten Towns Leaders) - Sharing Green Tips Monthly
New Hampshire - Ten Towns • Ten Actions in Progress and Completed
Upper Valley and Monadnock Region: Mesh Bag Mamas sewed and shared 1,000 organic cotton produce bags.
Portsmouth & Dover: Reusable Seacoast: Seacoast CAN" - Reusable Container Pilot
From "As You Sow" - May 2024
Huge Progress on Plastic Pollution: Highlights from This Year
Some of our most powerful wins so far this year are in reducing plastic waste and working toward a circular economy –
Hormel committed to reduce packaging use by 10 million pounds by 2030. The company also agreed to form a new industry working group to advance circular packaging policy and produce a report detailing opportunities to take additional action. In response, As You Sow agreed to withdraw its shareholder resolution with the company.
Amazon will phase out plastic mailers. In July 2023, Amazon reported a significant drop in plastic use – 12% decrease in plastic used to fill orders – and said it would phase out its non-recyclable blue and white plastic mailers, both actions sought by As You Sow in dialogue and through recent shareholder resolutions.
Microsoft delivered on device repairability. In 2021, with unprecedented global publicity, As You Sow reached a resolution withdrawal on device repairability with Microsoft. In upholding the agreement, Microsoft released a new study evaluating device repairability and launched its most repairable device, the Surface Laptop Studio 2, including self-repair instructions, with custom tools and parts available for purchase.
Keurig Dr. Pepper introduced a package-free coffee pod. In March 2024, Keurig Dr. Pepper announced a new plastic-free coffee pod with a compostable lining, a step toward fulfilling the company’s 2021 withdrawal agreement with As You Sow to reduce plastic use by 20%.
Yum! Brands will launch reusable packaging. Following in the footsteps of As You Sow’s 2023 withdrawal with McDonald’s on reusable packaging, Yum! Brands pledged to As You Sow to match its competitor and also produce a report on opportunities to expand its use of reusable packaging. In exchange, As You Sow withdrew its resolution.
- Global Success Stories
86% of consumers among younger generations (<45) showed a willingness to pay more for sustainable packaging
57% of consumers are “less likely” to buy products in harmful packaging
74% of consumers said they would be interested in buying products that come in refillable packaging
68% of consumers have chosen a product in the last six months based on its sustainability credentials
82% of consumers across age demographics showed a willingness to pay more for sustainable packaging, up 4 points from 2022 , and 8 points since 2021
90% of Gen-Z consumers showed a willingness to pay more for sustainable packaging
71% of consumers have chosen a product in the last six months based on its sustainability credentials
80% of consumers said they would be interested in buying products that come in refillable packaging to reduce their environmental impact
from Beth Terrry of My Plastic Free Life