Piling up.

Illegal dumping is skyrocketing in urban areas across the U.S. inflicting grave economic and environmental injustices on the cities' most vulnerable populations.

In this episode, you’ll meet Ken Houston, a passionate third-generation resident of Oakland, California with 30 years of experience in the construction industry. Ken’s lifelong commitment is to restore the quality of life for impacted communities, and in the process, provide jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Tune in to hear Ken’s story which takes us into the heart of Oakland and opens our eyes to the harms of illegal dumping on low-income communities of color and the unhoused.

Don’t forget to subscribe/follow People Over Plastic on all major podcast apps and follow us on Instagram and Twitter, @peoplexplastic.

Show notes:

To learn more about Ken’s work, check out the Beautification Council. Ken’s fight against illegal dumping has been featured on ABC 7, CBS News, and KTVU.

Race and income are the greatest determinants as to whether you will live near plastic production and waste disposal facilities. These facilities are almost always near low-income households, unhoused populations, and black, Latino, and indigenous neighborhoods. The truth is, there is no safe place to produce toxic plastics or dispose of our waste. This is why community recycling advocates are working to eliminate the production of unnecessary and toxic plastics and hold producers responsible to recover their products for recycling. More resources: The politics of Illegal Dumping: An Environmental Justice Framework and Toxic Waste and Race in 21st Century America.

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