Skip The Stuff New York

This blog post was written by Emma Sorace, a 2026 Marine Plastics Ambassador.

The logo I created for my campaign using Canva (Photo Credit: Emma Sorace).

The plastic pollution issue I decided to focus on was unnecessary single use plastics used and distributed in food establishments. This concept of “Skip the Stuff” has been executed in the states of New Jersey, Washington and California and the cities Denver, Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. After working in the service industry for several years, I have seen firsthand how much plastic waste one restaurant produces. This waste is especially harmful to those located on bodies of water, where it can be blown or dropped in aquatic ecosystems. 

I wanted to spread awareness to bills that prohibit public food service establishments operating in the state from providing excess food service items including utensils, condiments, napkins and extra containers, to any customer except upon, and in accordance with, the express request of that customer. During my undergrad, I studied microplastics in oceanic systems which allowed me to understand the science behind how plastic negatively affects our planet.  My intentions with the Marine Plastics Ambassador Program were to learn how to raise awareness of this issue I am passionate about to the general public and advocate for change. 

‍Skip the Stuff New York State

I first established a social media account and designed a logo to create the skip the stuff campaign. I shared my campaign with family, friends and members of my college to gain support. I also created a petition for Skip the Stuff New York State with a bio that describes the issues raised by plastic waste from food establishments and the benefits of reducing this consumption. I made a Plastic Usage Form for restaurants to complete that are located in the areas with the law in place to collect data. I posted the form on local restaurant facebook groups in each region but I did not get many responses. I posted a couple of videos on my social media as well. 

I got selected for the wonderful opportunity to attend the Washington DC Advocacy Workshop and Hill Day. This trip allowed me to take my campaign further by engaging with higher up policy makers and gaining confidence to share my concerns of plastic pollution. My group and I were taught the outreach skills to schedule meetings with our senators and representatives to discuss plastic policy solutions. We also prepped with writing one pagers to leave after the meetings. While in DC, we practiced our storytelling and 3 minute pitch, which aided in our 5 in person meetings we had with policymakers. My experience in DC helped me make more connections, collaborate with my fellow ambassadors and see firsthand how you can use your voice to advocate for change. 

Me outside Representative Latimer’s office in DC before our meeting. 

Campaign Impact

Instagram: 111 Followers & 562 views

Petition signatures collected: 61

  • Views: 967 
  • Shares: 32 petition
  • 6 promoters

DC in person meetings:

  • Representative Paul Tonko 
  • Representative George Latimer
  • Representative Robert Mendenez 
  • Senator Chuck Schumer
  • Senator Cory Booker 

Partnerships

  • The Refill House 
  • From Plastic to Protection

My project impact outcomes were meaningful to my campaign because it assured me that my work was being supported by my local communities and beyond New York.  My Instagram account grew to 111 followers, establishing a platform for sharing campaign information and reaching members of the public. My petition shares, views and signatures showed me that I could develop a network of supporters all over the United States who could advocate for the campaign and encourage others to participate. The in person meetings with Representatives and Senators in DC were a critical point in my campaign as it turned from public awareness into direct policy engagement. This showed my supporters how serious and passionate I was about making advances in plastic pollution solutions. Another major takeaway from DC was collaborating with my fellow ambassadors from New York and New Jersey in DC to form a bigger coalition, From Plastic To Protection. This allowed us to combine our partnerships and networks to make our campaigns stronger in the state.  

My fellow ambassadors from New York and New Jersey in Washington, D.C. (Photo Credit: Emma Sorace).

My experience as a Marine Plastics Ambassador was such a positive life experience. I felt so much hope for our future being surrounded with like minded people advocating for a better environment. Not only was I proud of my own advances each week but for my fellow ambassadors' progress as well. This team inspired me that change is really possible. I would say my biggest successes were social media, petition engagement and connecting with others.  However, as much as I enjoyed my work it was discouraging at times. One challenge I faced was low responses on my restaurant plastic usage form. I was going to use that data to show if food establishments in regions with skip the stuff in place saved money from the law in place to provide economical talking points. Instead I decided to rely on data from research online. 

Going into this program, I only had an expertise in plastic pollution research. I felt a bit intimidated at first because I had no advocacy background. Nevertheless I quickly learned that everyone had different experiences and we were all here to grow in our advocacy journeys. I was not prepared for how many new skills I gained such as; social media networking, content creation, policy outreach, engaging with decision makers and general knowledge of the policy world.  In addition, my campaign journey, new found skills, and Hill Day DC trip has grown my leadership and confidence tremendously. 

Looking Ahead

The end of my ambassadorship does not mean the end of my advocacy journey. I have always had a big heart for protecting the environment, it is a career I want to pursue. This program opened up my eyes to a new direction I can take my time and passions to. I don’t want to give up hope on my campaign and for implementing a Skip the Stuff Bill for New York state.  I will continue my work on outreach, connecting with policy makers, content creation and sharing my story.  Now that I graduated with a degree in Marine Biology, I have been working on establishing connections, joining local environmental groups and finding ways that I can make a difference in my community and state. 

I am so grateful that Earthecho has shown me just how much I can accomplish with my voice and my passions. We are the generation of change. Plastic pollution can not be fought by just one person or one group, we need as much support as we can get. Advocating can start at any time and it can be for anyone. Your voice, your story, and your passion can be the beginning of change. I am excited to become an alumna and can’t wait to see what the next cohort brings. Being part of the GenSea network allows me to continue supporting my generation and ongoing projects. This is only the beginning of my advocacy journey.

If you would like to support me on my advocacy journey follow me on Instagram at @earthy_emma_ny and consider signing my petition: https://c.org/TKRLcKCzWW!

Learn more about the EarthEcho Marine Plastics Ambassadors at https://www.earthecho.org/plastics-ambassadors.