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 Westport: The Halftime Huddle

6 Months Down. 6 to Go. Let’s Huddle Up for Plastic-Free July.

We are officially six months into our first year of UnPlastic Westport! Together, we’ve audited our pantries, cleaned up our closets, and changed some of our daily habits. Now, as we hit the midpoint of 2026, we’re pausing for a quick halftime check-in as we dive into the global movement focused on helping millions reduce plastic waste: Plastic-Free July.

First Half Highlight:

• Two Brand-New Water Filling Stations freshly installed and live! Head to the Compo Beach Basketball Courts and Winslow Park to check them out. We are officially set up to knock thousands of single-use plastic bottles out of our local parks, beaches and waste streams.

📍💧The Next Play: Give a Dollar. Pick a Spot. 

Where should our next water bottle filling station go? You tell us!

Every dollar donated to our UnPlastic Westport fund counts as a vote for your favorite spot ($1 = 1 vote, $5 = 5 votes). Whichever location puts the most points on the board wins the next water bottle filling station location!*

How to Vote:

1. Click the donation button below.
2. Select your donation amount (e.g., $5 = 5 votes).
3. In the donation notes, write your target location from this list: Town Farms Ball Complex, Old Mill Beach, PJ Romano, or Wakeman Park

*All locations are subject to approval by the Town of Westport (Planning & Zoning Commission, Parks & Recreation Commission and Department of Public Works, as applicable). The cost and feasibility of each location vary.