Beyond the Bin: Waste's Hidden Impact

Transition Town Port Washington Youth Activists hosted a powerful community presentation at the Port Washington Public Library on the far-reaching consequences of plastic production, use, and disposal — from environmental degradation and public health impacts to the disproportionate burden placed on vulnerable communities. Central to the conversation was waste incineration, often marketed as "waste-to-energy," a practice that shifts the burden of our trash onto those least able to push back.

The presentation featured guest speaker Monique Fitzgerald, co-founder of the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group (BLARG). She founded the organization in 2020 to fight for the closure of a landfill that receives ash from incinerators — including one that processes Port Washington's waste — and sits in a community facing some of the highest cancer rates and lowest life expectancy on Long Island.

The event was a dynamic conversation about concrete actions audience members can take, both locally and at the state level.