Welcome. We’re glad you’re here.
We’re Montana citizens
concerned about plastic.
Why are we working toward a Montana free of unnecessary single-use plastics?
The plastic we can’t see may be more dangerous than the plastic we can see.
Microplastics are in Montana’s water and wildlife.
Researchers in 2019 found plastic in more than half of Montana's streams, including 35 fishing sites.
Microplastics have also been detected in Flathead Lake, where they can interfere with the food web because animals like zooplankton and fish may eat them.
In 2021, microplastics were found in the stomachs of cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake.
Microplastics are in our bodies.
In March 2024, researchers reported finding microplastics inside of plaque taken from human carotid arteries. Those patients had a 450% increased chance of suffering heart attacks and strokes.
In May 2024, investigators found microplastics in 100% of the human and dog testes they studied.
In September 2024, the National Library of Medicine posted a study (in preprint) showing high concentrations of microplastic in the human brain. Polyethylene, the kind of plastic used to make disposable bags, was the most common by far.
We want to be part of the solution.
Twelve states & more than 500 municipalities have banned single-use plastics, and plastic bag bans reduce plastic bag litter by at least one-third.
Yet Montana has no statewide regulations on single-use plastics, and state law restricts Montana municipalities from regulating single-use plastics.
Join us in taking action with the Skip the Stuff Montana campaign.
Plastic Waste Destroys Montana’s Wilderness
Researchers in 2019 found plastic in more than half of Montana’s rivers, including 35 fishing sites
Microplastics threaten the health of trout, and have been found in the stomachs of native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout.
For more information, click here.
Polystyrene (Styrofoam) Is Dangerous.
Styrene, the base chemical of polystyrene, is a human carcinogen.
Polystyrene in the environment is almost impossible to clean up. It breaks into tiny pieces that persist in the ecosystem for centuries.
For more information, click here.
Microplastics Threaten Human Health
Microplastics have now been found in the human brain, arteries, testicles, and nearly every other organ sampled.
Chemicals leach out of these particles constantly. Researchers think of them as “trojan horses” because their impacts are often toxic.
Plasticizing chemicals can be carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and disrupt hormones from thyroid and insulin to estrogen and testosterone. They are linked to diabetes, obesity, ADHD, autism, infertility, numerous cancers, and many other disorders.
For more information, click here.