The Community Environmental Council Hosts Family-Friendly Event on Plastic Pollution Solutions

Downtown Santa Barbara event focuses on how to cut plastic pollution and promote plastic-free initiatives

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (June 20, 2025) – The Community Environmental Council (CEC) and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper are hosting the 4th Annual Plastic-Free Expo, a free family-friendly event dedicated to sharing resources and strategies for ditching single-use plastics. Community members are invited to RSVP here for the in-person event, which will take place from 6:30 - 8 p.m., June 25, at CEC’s Environmental Hub (1219 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101). 

The Plastic-Free Expo is held each year to bring awareness to the rising problem of plastic pollution, and its impacts on the environment, climate, and public health. A staggering 11 million metric tons of plastics enter the ocean each year, and the United States is one of the top contributors of plastic waste. In addition, fossil fuel extraction and manufacturing of plastics disproportionately impacts the health of low income communities and communities of color while exacerbating the climate crisis. 

“For the health of our planet and its inhabitants, we need to radically reduce the amount of plastics entering the environment and our bodies,” said Kathi King, CEC Director of Education & Outreach. ”We’re proud to present a wide variety of sustainable solutions at the Expo with our local partners.  We encourage community members who are interested in plastic alternatives to attend the event and spread the word.”

The Plastic-Free Expo features over a dozen local organizations, businesses, and government agencies, including the Santa Barbara Green Guide, City of Goleta Environmental Services, City of Santa Barbara Sustainability and Resilience Dept, County of Santa Barbara, EcoStiks, Explore Ecology, Heal the Ocean, Mission Refillery, Planet Protectors SB, SBC Green Business Program, Sunkissed Pantry, and @See_Drive Collective Art Making. 

Attendees will receive information and resources for eliminating plastic and making sustainable choices. Everyone will receive a “Plastic-Free Expo Passport” to fill out for chances to win exciting prizes. Refreshments and beverages will be served.

Since 2008, CEC has led advocacy efforts for local plastic reduction policy change along the Central Coast, resulting in ten regional laws. Starting in 2010, CEC led efforts to install public water stations throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. There are now 127 bottle-filling hydration stations in schools, libraries, parks, and public spaces — saving over eight million single-use plastic bottles from reaching landfills.

About the Community Environmental Council (CEC) 

CEC advances rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis – including ambitious zero carbon goals, drawdown of excess carbon, and protection against the impacts of climate change. CEC was recognized as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year and a City of Santa Barbara Climate Hero, and is led by CEO Sigrid Wright who was recently named 2022 Congressional Woman of the Year. CEC has worked since 1970 to incubate and innovate real life environmental solutions that directly affect the California Central Coast. Our programs lead to clean vehicles, solar energy, resilient food systems and reduction of single-use plastic. Learn more about the work of CEC and why it receives high ratings from both Charity Navigator and Guidestar at CECSB.org/impact.

Find CEC on the web at CECSB.org and on Facebook.com/CECSB, Instagram.com/CEC_SB, and Linkedin.com/company/cecsb/.

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