As we move into the New Year, we are taking a moment to reflect on the progress and challenges of 2018 in our corporate engagements to end the overuse of antibiotics in animal farming.
My home in Hyattsville, Maryland — where I have my office — is occasionally referred to as As You Sow’s DC office. My proximity to the city affords easy ability to attend Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) meetings in person, such as the staff roundtable on the proxy process on Nov. 15.
As You Sow is pleased to be a signatory to a Global Commitment to eradicate plastic waste and pollution signed by 250 organizations including many of the world’s largest packaging producers, brands, and retailers. However, it wasn’t an easy decision, with strong commitments offset by key unanswered questions.
Americans throw away an estimated 100 billion plastic bags a year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which says the average bag takes up to 1,000 years to break down. Even then, the plastic remains in the environment and food chain. Plastic litter entering the marine environment has swelled to an estimated 8 million tons per year and as the world’s largest generator of waste, the U.S. contributes to that long-lasting pollution.
