Green Orleans program on Nov. 4 focuses on proliferation of plastics in food
Dr. Jane van Dis
ALBION – Green Orleans, a grassroots organization committed to preserving the environment and an affiliate of the Community Coalition for Justice, is sponsoring a presentation Nov. 4 at Hoag Library on “How to Eat Less Plastic.”
At 6:30 p.m., Dr. Jane van Dis, a doctor at Strong Memorial Hospital, will lead a program on the simple ways to reduce exposure to microplastics.
“We ingest plastics through the food we eat and the water we drink,” van Dis said.
Van Dis has worked with the effects of microplastics on the body, particularly effecting mothers and their babies, said Sister Dolores, coordinator of Green Orleans.
She previously spoke in Albion on March 5, 2025 in a presentation called, “The Toxicity of Plastics.” She lectures nationally and internationally on the intersection of the climate and plastic crisis and women’s and maternal health.
Van Dis co-founded OBGYN’s for Sustainable Future, an interest group of Healthcare Without Harm. She has published in academic journals on the climate crisis and women’s health. She is on Tik Tok, where she addresses plastics, pollution and women’s/maternal health and creates short educational videos.
More than 400 million tons of plastic are produced annually, and environmentalists estimate 25 to 51 trillion plastic pieces currently float across marine environments. At best, only 9 percent of plastics get recycled, Sister Dolores said. Many plastics are not recyclable and even many of those that are wind up in landfills or in our waterways.
The microplastics break down under sunlight and waves into particles smaller than 5 mm, and absorb toxic chemicals. These enter the marine food web and eventually reach human seafood supplies.
Green Orleans began as part of the Community Coalition for Justice in 2020, with people interested in the earth’s sustainability. They meet at 11:30 a.m. the third Thursday of the month at Hoag Library.
The Nov. 4 presentation will include light snacks and refreshments. Those attending are asked to bring a refillable, non-plastic water bottle.
