About us.

“Three quarters (76%) of Americans reported feeling concerned about plastic foam containing harmful chemicals, and over half of Americans reported feeling very concerned about animals and wildlife ingesting microplastic foam pieces.”
— Ocean Conservancy

Our Mission: The Coalition initiates and champions legislation and policy supportive of a circular economy that prohibits the sale, production, and use of single-use plastic and reduces the production of new plastic in the state of Illinois.

CPR has formally adopted the Jemez Organizing Principles and commits to collaborating with each partner equitably, transparently, and respectfully. CPR members acknowledge the historical inequity and exclusion of marginalized peoples and organizations in society and within our own movement(s) and understand that our use of these principles as a coalition is intended to help us collectively work toward environmental justice. Adoption of these principles is a commitment to building a diverse and inclusive culture within CPR.

Our Principles.

Twenty-two million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes each year, and half of litter collected in the Chicago River is related to single-use food packaging.

Preventing plastic from being made is the only real solution to reducing the many harms caused by single-use plastics throughout their life cycle. Well-designed policies reduce pollution at the source, address disproportionate harm to frontline communities and advance equity and environmental justice. To that end, CPR seeks to advance policies in Illinois that would limit production, distribution, and use of single-use plastics.

  • Advance policies that limit the production, distribution, and use of single-use platics.

  • Encourage the use of reusable products and containers..

  • We can’t recycle our way out of this problem: over 91% of our plastic isn’t recycled, and less than 1% of polystyrene foam gets recycled.

  • The responsibility to reduce and recycle shouldn’t just fall on individuals. Further legislation is needed to make plastic producers accountable and create a bigger market for sustainable products.

  • Individuals should be rewarded for reducing their single-use plastic use.