Chicago alderpeople welcome a panel of environmental science and justice experts during an April 23, 2025 city council health and environmental joint committee meeting regarding the hazards of single-use plastics. [Screenshot / City of Chicago]

Experts on environmental science and activism – as well as Chicago residents – urged city officials to take immediate action against the production and use of single-use plastics during a city council joint committee meeting this week.

Public commenters talked on Wednesday, both as local environmental leaders and as city dwellers, about the importance of eliminating single-use plastics and common microplastics like polyester fibers, in the name of creating a better Chicago for future generations.