Trash-Free Waters
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Trash-Free Waters Webinars

The goal of the Trash-Free Waters Webinar Series is to promote increased knowledge and understanding of existing TFW place-based efforts, innovative solutions to addressing marine litter, and the sources, distribution and impacts of plastics and microplastics in the environment. The featured presenters are experienced stakeholders and researchers in this field.

When available, upcoming webinars will appear directly below so please check back often.

Past Webinar Recordings

Outreach and Education for Trash Free Waters – What Makes a Successful Campaign?

Speakers:

  • Ellie Moss, Founder and Principal at Moss and Mollusk Consulting and primary author of “Reducing Plastic Pollution: Campaigns That Work”
  • Katie Register, Executive Director of Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University
  • Adam Lindquist, Director of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore’s Healthy Harbor Initiative 
January 20, 2022

Changing the way people consume products and dispose of their waste is an important part of the solution to the plastic pollution crisis. But when do outreach campaigns and education efforts actually result in the behavior changes necessary to prevent plastic and other types of trash from getting into our waterways? In this EPA Trash Free Waters Program webinar, three expert speakers discussed lessons learned and best practices for outreach campaigns aimed at preventing aquatic trash. The speakers provided practical information on how to craft an effective anti-littering or source reduction outreach campaign and discussed common barriers to achieving desired behavior changes and strategies for overcoming these barriers. 

Webinar Recording: https://youtu.be/wUYccQeRa4E

Data Collection and Monitoring for Trash-Free Waterways

Speakers:

  • Dr. Pinar Balci, Assistant Commissioner, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Environmental Planning and Analysis
  • Randy Hartmann, Senior Director of Affiliate Operations, Keep America Beautiful
  • Sarah Kollar, Outreach Manager, International Coastal Cleanup, Trash Free Seas Program, Ocean Conservancy
September 23, 2021

When it comes to trash in waterways, it’s hard to manage what you can’t measure. Data on the location, amount, and types of trash polluting the environment can have a wide range of benefits. It has the potential to increase public awareness, guide policy solutions, and improve the effectiveness of solid waste and stormwater management. However, trash is a complex pollutant and obtaining useful data on trash in waterways is fraught with challenges. The sixth installment in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Trash Free Waters Webinar Series, Data Collection and Monitoring for Trash-Free Waterways, examined the benefits and challenges associated with litter data collection and monitoring.

During the webinar, speakers described three data collection and monitoring efforts that are each making an impact in different ways. Speakers provided local, national, and global perspectives on methods for collecting and analyzing trash data and the major challenges for obtaining and utilizing data. 

Webinar Recording:  https://youtu.be/RR4s_r39p_A

Reuse Models as Part of the Solution to the Plastic Pollution Crisis

Speakers:

  • Crystal Dreisbach, Executive Director of Don't Waste Durham and Founder of Durham GreenToGo
  • Annika Greve, Business Development Director (North America), Loop
  • Miriam Gordon, Policy Director, UPSTREAM Solutions
March 11, 2021

Disposable plastic packaging is a major source of the plastic waste that is accumulating at alarming rates in marine and freshwater environments. About 40% of all plastic produced globally is used for packaging. Reuse and refill models are creating new opportunities for consumers to reduce the amount of waste they generate by making it easier to purchase goods in reusable containers. In this webinar, speakers describe different types of reuse and refill models and discuss why reuse can be an important part of the solution to the plastic pollution problem both globally and locally. Speakers will also discuss the major challenges and opportunities for launching, maintaining, and scaling up reuse systems.

Experiences and Lessons Learned from Trash Capture Projects

Speakers:

  • Darryl Haddock, Education Director, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance
  • Matt Robinson, Environmental Protection Specialist, Washington DC Department of Energy & Environment
  • Chris Sommers, Vice President-Project Management, EOA Inc.
November 5, 2020
Trash capture devices can be effective interventions for reducing the amount of trash in our waterways, particularly in areas with heavy trash loads in municipal runoff. However, there are many considerations to take into account when determining whether a trash capture project is appropriate for a given area and when designing, implementing, and maintaining the project. ThisTrash Free Waters webinar brings together experts who have planned and implemented trash capture projects in watersheds across the country for a discussion of lessons learned from their experiences.

Local Policies on Single-Use Plastics in the U.S.

Speakers:

  • Josh Kelly, Materials Management Section Chief - Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
  • Kara Mertz, Sustainability Manager - City of Boulder, Colorado
  • Jennie Romer, Esq., Legal Associate - Plastic Pollution Initiative, Surfrider Foundation
  • Tommy Wells, Director -DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
July 9, 2020
This webinar is an in-depth discussion about state and local policies designed to reduce single-use plastic waste in the U.S. The panel of expert speakers provided insights based on their diverse experiences working to craft and implement these policies. 
 

Lessons Learned from the Trash Free Texas Adopt-A-Spot Program

Project champions from the City of Fort Worth, Keep Texas Beautiful, and Texas State University

April 15, 2020
This webinar provides a deep dive into a cutting-edge platform that marries litter hotspots and citizen activism in ways that prevent and reduce the flow of trash into our watersheds. Speakers explain the history, use and evolution of this important tool which can be exported and adapted to watersheds across the nation and abroad.

Brett Howell Cleanup Expedition to Henderson Island

Brett Howell, Conservationist

December 11, 2019
Please watch for an interactive online discussion with Brett Howell about his recent trip to Henderson Island, an uninhabited coral atoll in the South Pacific's Pitcairn Islands which has become inundated with marine debris from across the globe. Listen in for a first-hand account of Brett's experience as well as a discussion of his efforts to help remediate the worldwide plastic pollution crisis.
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Last updated on May 5, 2022