UnPlastic Westport is Sustainable Westport’s community-wide initiative to reduce our use of plastics, especially single-use plastics, and expand public water-filling stations throughout town. In 2026, our goal is to turn shared intention into measurable, community-wide change.

Plastic affects our health, our environment, and communities far beyond our borders, and recycling alone is not solving the problem. That’s why UnPlastic Westport focuses on reducing plastic at the source through education, practical swaps, and collective action.

No, plastic is uniquely valuable in many industries and can be difficult to replace in our daily lives. However, we’ve normalized plastic in nearly every aspect of life, often without fully considering the long-term consequences for our health, the environment, and for communities around the globe who are disproportionately impacted by our waste and the lasting nature of plastic.

Many people assume single-use plastic and other plastic will be recycled if we put them in the blue bin. In reality, a recent Department of Energy report found that less than ten percent of plastics in the U.S. are actually recycled. While recycling correctly is important, reducing the amount of plastic we use is even better, both for our health and the environment.

Start with what feels reasonable for you. New to your UnPlastic journey? Identify where you can stop relying on single-use plastic. Instead of buying single-use plastic beverages, try buying glass or aluminum or better yet, use your reusable bottle. Ready to tackle your home? Try switching from liquid soap to bar soap, or choosing aluminum or glass containers instead of plastic. Ready to go further? Refillable containers, buying in bulk, or rethinking clothing made with synthetic materials may be your next step.

Wherever you are in your UnPlastic journey, we’re here to help you make the next best choice.

We invite you to Pledge to UnPlastic — a collective commitment to reduce our use of plastics, especially single-use plastics, one small step at a time. By adding your name, you’re signaling your readiness to act. And in return, we pledge to guide you and make it doable.

Each month, we’ll highlight one area of everyday life where single-use plastic is most common and share practical swap ideas you can choose from (or you can create your own!). From your kitchen to your laundry room, sports team gatherings to hosting, these small shifts add up. 

Individual actions matter. And when we take them together, their impact grows exponentially.

UnPlastic on the Go

7:15 a.m.: a to-go coffee cup on the way to the train. 12:30 p.m.: a takeout salad with a plastic fork and a little plastic cup of dressing. 5:00 p.m.: a bottled sports drink handed out at practice pickup. None of it feels like much in the moment, but by dinnertime an ordinary Westport day can leave behind a trail of single-use plastic.

The good news is that on-the-go plastic is some of the easiest to skip. Most of it is handed to us by default, so a little planning and a few words at the counter go a long way.

And when enough of us bring our own, local cafés and lunch spots notice. Reuse starts to feel like the easy choice, not the exception.

The trick is keeping your reusables within reach. Here are a few simple swaps for your day on the go:

• Parents: Instead of grabbing plastic forks and water bottles on the fly, keep a to-go bag in the car with utensils, a cloth napkin and refillable bottles.
• Students: Instead of buying a bottle between classes, carry one you actually like and refill it throughout the day.
• Commuters: Instead of taking the lid, straw and napkins by default, try “just the drink, please.” 
• Caffeine lovers: Instead of a paper cup (most are lined with plastic), bring your own mug or reusable insulted, spill-proof cup. Tea drinker? Your tea bag might deserve a second look too (many are made from plastic).

👉 Read the full guide for what to pack, what to skip, and the everyday items that are quietly hiding plastic.