All air is not created equal - and nothing exemplifies this more than South Baltimore’s Curtis Bay neighborhood. When Shashawnda Campbell was just 15 years old, she co-founded “Free Your Voice,” a student-led group that worked for 5 years to shut down the largest incinerator proposal in US history set to be built less than a mile away from their school.

80% of incinerators are located in low-income communities of color - and that fact is not a coincidence. Tune in to hear Shashawnda break down why incinerators and other pollution-heavy industrial operations don’t belong in anyone’s neighborhood, regardless of race and income.

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

Resources:

You can learn more about Shashawnda’s fight in The Guardian, Union of Concerned Scientists blog, and Grist.

Check out South Baltimore Community Land Trust to support Shashwanda’s work in Curtis Bay.

To get a deeper understanding of efforts to end waste incineration around the globe, check out the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. For more information on “chemical recycling” and plastics-to-fuel technology, view the Alliance of Mission-Based Recyclers' overview of burning plastics as false solutions.

Keep the conversation going by sharing this episode on Social Media and following us on Instagram and Twitter.

And that’s a wrap for season 2 of People Over Plastic’s podcast series!

Over 1000 listeners and still counting have placed their trust in People over Plastic’s fearless coverage since we launched in October 2021. Unlike other podcasts, we have no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion for changing the narrative--to tell a true story, produced by BIPOC storytellers that will build power against corporations and governments invested in plastic production. But projects like ours are often under-resourced and underestimated by many institutional funders. That’s why we depend on supporters like YOU. However big or small, every contribution powers our BIPOC storytelling and sustains our future. Support People over Plastic from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW