As restaurants move toward reopening, many health experts are saying plastic food packaging doesn’t provide any better protection against COVID-19 - in fact, it presents significant risk to human health. Leading up to World Health Day on April 7, UPSTREAM held a media briefing with expert panelists Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP and Shanna H. Swan, PhD, MS.

Handy insights, tips, and talking points for approaching food service businesses to help them save money and the planet at the same time.

I believe this will be the year that EPR for packaging moves forward in the United States. The conditions are ripe, and policymakers are engaged and educated around the issues in a way that they weren’t five years ago. It’s going to take a lot of hard work by stakeholders on all sides to get to the finish line. It won’t be easy, but the results will be worth it. Let’s get it done.

Because the Break Free From Plastic Act does not currently focus on reusables, we organized a working group to develop recommendations for building reusable/refillable requirements into the Act and have been communicating these ideas to the authors of the legislation.

Misplaced perceptions of cleaning & unnecessary use of disposable dining-ware hinder COVID response.

Scientists & specialists assure the public that reusables are safe if basic hygiene and contact-free systems are utilized.

While we applaud the Bay Area’s efforts to ensure our safety, banning reusable bags moves us in the opposite direction.

Upstream's response to the Plastic Industry Association's push for more single-use plastics.

Overbrook report details the economic costs to businesses and cities from disposable foodware.