In March of 2016, Emory MDP student Paulita Bennett-Martin was part of an alliance of people from around the world that worked to get the impacts of plastic pollution on the radar for the City of Atlanta. As a result, professor Pam Longobardi and City of Atlanta Council Member Kwanza Hall, publicly proclaimed March 27th as Plastic Reduction Day Atlanta at the Center for Disease Control. This year the team worked to create a citywide pledge to commemorate the 2nd annual Plastic Reduction Atlanta day. The pledge calls for local Atlanta businesses to reduce their single use plastic footprint. To celebrate, a film-screening event was held at the Midtown Art Theater in Atlanta including attendees from the Environmental Protection Agency, Plastic Pollution Coalition, and Captain Planet.

PPC aired their new PSA narrated by Jeff Bridges for the first time to Atlanta audience. Paulita also launched the Plastic Reduction Atlanta online map showcasing the 28 local businesses and institutions that have taken the plastic reduction pledge, including replacing plastic beverage straws with paper ones. Paulita would like to thank the pledge sponsors, Aardvark Paper Straws, and the film-screening sponsors Blue Heron Nature Preserve and the Drifters Project and everyone who takes the pledge. Learn more here.