Our state Legislature is considering multiple bills to tackle single-use plastics, which could make Massachusetts a leader in slashing plastic waste — but your lawmakers need to hear from you.
Our state Legislature is considering multiple bills to tackle single-use plastics, which could make Massachusetts a leader in slashing plastic waste — but your lawmakers need to hear from you.
Food
New restrictions on bee-killing pesticides will help keep our pollinators safe
Massachusetts has approved new restrictions on a class of bee-killing pesticides called neonicotinoids, or "neonics." These chemicals play a significant role in bee die-offs — and curbing their use on lawns, turf, trees, shrubs and gardens is a critical step toward protecting our most important pollinators.
Higher Ed
MASSPIRG helps secure landmark protections for student loan borrowers
Gov. Baker has signed the MASSPIRG-backed Student Loan Borrowers Bill of Rights into law, which will institute new protections against deceptive lending practices to nearly 1 million student borrowers across the state.
COVID-19
Nursing Home Safety During COVID
Ongoing research by U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group, analyzing government data, shows that too many of the 1.3 million Americans residing in the nation’s 15,000 nursing homes are at risk due to dangerous shortages of personal protective equipment and/or staff.
Transportation
Massachusetts signs landmark commitment to slash transportation emissions
Massachusetts has signed onto the landmark Transportation and Climate Initiative Program, which will invest in clean transportation projects such as zero-emission electric vehicles, expanded public transit options, and walking and biking infrastructure. Several other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states have joined or expressed support as well.
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MASSPIRG is your advocate for the public interest, speaking out for healthier, safer, more secure lives for all of us.
News & Research
Blog Post
A scorecard released by U.S. PIRG Education Fund found that many popular cosmetic brands score poorly on ingredient safety and disclosure. While companies and governments need to take action to protect consumers, in the meantime, you can take steps to keep your personal care routine safe.
News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund
AUSTIN, Texas -- U.S. PIRG Education Fund , Environment America Research & Policy Center, and Student PIRG sent 59,000 petitions and a letter signed by more than 40 state lawmakers Thursday to Whole Foods urging the company to commit to a comprehensive plan for phasing out single-use plastic packaging from its stores. This follows a March 2021 letter signed by more than 130 advocacy and community groups calling on the national supermarket chain to adopt a bold response to the plastic pollution crisis.
News Release
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report today on manufacturers' use of restrictive repair tactics that have kept consumers from repairing their own products.
Report | MASSPIRG Education Fund
Some of the largest cosmetic and personal care companies are doing a poor job informing the public on what ingredients are going into their products, hiding potentially toxic chemicals from consumers. This report found 20 of 26 surveyed brands had failed to adequately disclose product ingredients to consumers and the average ingredient disclosure score was 5.56 out of 10, or an F, pointing to a need for improvement across the industry.
News Release | MASSPIRG Education Fund
Boston -- Some of the largest cosmetic and personal care companies are doing a poor job informing the public on what ingredients are going into their products, hiding potentially toxic chemicals from consumers. The MASSPIRG Education Fund released USPIRG Education Fund’s scorecard report Wednesday that found 20 of 26 surveyed brands had failed to adequately disclose product ingredients to consumers. The report, entitled Looking Inward 2021: Where popular personal care brands stand on ingredient safety and disclosure, found the average ingredient disclosure score was 5.56 out of 10, or an F, pointing to a need for improvement across the industry.
RESOURCE
Coronavirus update
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve taken steps for all of our staff to work remotely for safety reasons. But rest assured, we’ll keep advocating for you as we work for a healthier, safer world.
Learn more about how we can work together to address the COVID-19 pandemic.