By: Aimee Douglass

​You’ve seen the images on social media – the beaches covered with garbage, the marine life swimming through obstacle courses made up of garbage. The problem is universal, and a human one, in that it is one that humans can come together and solve.

Single-use plastic (SUP) makes up a great deal of the garbage that is finding its way into our waterways, disrupting the ecology of our oceans, rivers, and lakes, leading to the diminished health of these systems and the creatures that call them home.

But what if there was something simple you could do, as an individual, to combat this? What if it was as easy as saying three simple words: “no plastic please.”

No Plastic Please is a HUMANE ACTION Pittsburgh campaign aimed at reducing SUP to protect our communities' health, wildlife, and environment. 

We suggest starting with refusing the following targeted items when you are dining out, shopping, or attending an event:

• plastic straws
• plastic bags
• plastic cups
• plastic take out containers
• plastic bottles
• all styrofoam
• plastic stirrers
• plastic cutlery

While this can sometimes seem like an impossible task, there are so many alternatives available to items listed above, and all it requires is a little planning:

• Bring your own coffee cup or tumbler to the coffee shop
• Ask the waiter/waitress to forego the straw for your drink when dining out
• Attending a picnic? Bring your own plate, reusable water bottle, and cutlery
• When shopping, bring your own reusable shopping bag
• Dining out or getting takeout? Bring your own container

You can make your own SUP-free kit and carry it with you so you’re ready for any situation.  Learn more here.

Little actions can add up to big results. By thinking about your single-use plastic consumption and making a conscious decision to use alternatives, you are contributing to a solution to a growing problem on the planet and making a difference!

If you want to make a difference, please go to the No Plastic Please page and take the Pledge.

We need you! Volunteer to join our campaign to help spread the word about “No Plastic Please” and work toward a goal of making it a movement among individuals, organizations, and legislatures. For more information on volunteering opportunities you can be a part of, email HUMANE ACTION Pittsburgh at humaneactionpittsburgh@gmail.com.
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By: Aimee Douglass

Welcome to the new Humane Action Pittsburgh (HAP) blog! It’s a new year, and we have set some great goals to develop humane laws for animals in the city, county, and state, with the hopes of rolling these policies out to the nation. 

To that end, this space will serve as a place to update all visitors to the website about actions that they can take to help us reach our goals, things they can do in their everyday lives to help end animal suffering, and provide resources for next steps as individuals want to become more involved in the work that HAP does. 

We want YOU to be involved, and there are many ways in which you can do that. The first step would be to come to a HAP meeting, which occur every six weeks. The next meeting is scheduled for 1/14 at the East Liberty Humane Animal Rescue organization. Come and introduce yourself, and decide at which level you would like to get involved. We have multiple campaigns, from No Plastic Please, to Compassionate Living, to Ending Puppy Mill misery. As you can imagine, these are campaigns that involve lofty goals and that is why we need your help! We need passionate people who want to get involved in a way that is comfortable and realistic for them. We are not a protest organization, but prefer to work with legislators and experts within the humane world to develop and implement policies and laws that help end the suffering of animals within our city, county, and state. Join us and share your talents in a way that is fulfilling and successful. 

Finally, we want our team to feel like they are part of the community. This blog will reflect that. If you are reading this and there is a subject you would like to see covered more in-depth within this space, please send a suggestion to humaneactionpittsburgh@gmail.com If you have any questions about getting involved with HAP, what HAP is working on, or steps you can take to help our efforts, please feel free to email us!