OTHER INITIATIVES

Cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate, a plastic that does not biodegrade and is among the most littered items on Earth. Each year billions of filters release microplastics, heavy metals, and nicotine into soil and waterways. As You Sow engages major tobacco producers to take financial responsibility for this waste through Extended Producer Responsibility policies. Building on progress in the European Union, where tobacco companies are required to fund filter collection and cleanup, we urge U.S. manufacturers to adopt similar measures and disclose plans for compliance. Holding producers accountable for cigarette butt pollution advances a circular economy for plastics and protects communities and ecosystems from toxic waste.

Over the past decade As You Sow has worked with seven major petrochemical companies to reduce plastic pellet spillage, a significant source of microplastic pollution. The companies include Chevron Phillips Chemical, Dow Chemical, DuPont de Nemours, Eastman Chemical, ExxonMobil Chemical, Westlake Chemical, and Occidental Petroleum. Plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, are the raw materials for most plastic products and are frequently lost during manufacturing and transport. By engaging producers to strengthen handling procedures and improve reporting, we are helping to prevent billions of pellets from entering waterways and ecosystems each year. 

As You Sow began promoting a circular economy for electronics in the mid-2000s through its Electronic Waste Recycling Initiative, collaborating with companies such as Dell, HP, and Apple to establish in-house take-back programs. Building on that work, we now engage technology companies to design products for circularity from the outset. With Microsoft and others, we advocate for adoption of right-to-repair principles, ensuring that consumers have access to repair instructions, parts, and tools. Expanding repair options reduces waste, extends product life, and helps companies align innovation with sustainability. 

For more than 20 years, As You Sow engaged beverage and food companies to set ambitious container recycling and recycled content goals. We also encouraged retailers and restaurant chains to take responsibility for collecting and recycling beverage and food containers used in their establishments. This work laid the foundation for our current Plastic Pollution Initiative, which continues to advance corporate accountability for waste reduction, responsible sourcing, and circular materials management across the consumer goods sector.