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Upcoming Events

Oct

13
14

Illinois River Cities and Towns Initiative Annual Meeting

MACFA will present at the 2026 Illinois River Cities Annual Meeting, sharing insights on plastic pollution in rivers and waterways and the actions communities can take to reduce it.

Register Here

Oct

26

2026 U.S. Plastics Pact Activator Action Summit

Join the U.S. Plastics Pact team, leadership, and your fellow Activators for a highly collaborative, in‑person working summit.

Register Here

Nov

14

BYOBag Day

Join us on November 14th for BYOBag Day, a regional effort to cut down on single-use plastic bags and promote simple, everyday actions that protect our communities and waterways.

Register Here

Past Events

Aug

21

Plastic Free on the Mississippi

Join us on the Mississippi River for Plastic Free on the Mississippi: Science, Solutions & Celebration.

Register Here

Aug

27

One Water Missouri on the Barge: Clarifying Nutrient Pollution

Join us on the Mississippi River for a full-day workshop focused on nutrient pollution challenges and solutions in Missouri’s waterways.

Register Here

Aug

28
29

Bull Float trip

MACFA is once again sponsoring the Annual Bull Float Trip, bringing can-only recycling to one of the Ozarks’ biggest summer traditions.

Learn More

Sep

28

MidAmerica Circularity Forum

Registration is listed at $275, but reduced-rate and complimentary registrations may be available for eligible attendees. Contact info@macfalliance.org for details before completing your registration.

Register Here

Sep

28

MidAmerica Circularity Social

A night of connection and meaningful conversations with partners joining from all over.

Join us at the National Blues Museum for a night of connection, conversation, and community.

Register Here

October 13 - 14 - Illinois River Cities and Towns Initiative Annual Meeting

MACFA will present at the 2026 Illinois River Cities Annual Meeting, sharing insights on plastic pollution in rivers and waterways and the actions communities can take to reduce it. Executive Director Jennifer Wendt will discuss how plastics move through river systems, the impacts on local ecosystems and communities, and practical strategies for prevention, policy, and upstream solutions. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the challenges facing MidAmerica waterways and the tools available to protect them.

Link to IRCTI event page: https://illinoisrivercities.org/2026-annual-meeting-registration/

2026 U.S. Plastics Pact Activator Action Summit

Join the U.S. Plastics Pact team, leadership, and your fellow Activators for a highly collaborative, in‑person working summit focused on advancing the next phase of U.S. Plastics Pact programs and initiatives. 

This is not a conference. This is where we roll up our sleeves. Together, we’ll review progress, refine U.S. Plastics Pact priorities and implementation plans, exchange lessons learned, and identify USPP’s future priorities, projects, and strategic direction.

Why Attend?

  • Help shape what’s next by identifying the most pressing barriers and gaps to plastics circularity within your sector and help prioritize where USPP can deliver the greatest impact.
  • Participate in hands-on, action-oriented working session designed to develop practical projects across the USPP’s Impact Areas.
  • Efficient & Intentional: Timed to coincide with APR’s Fall Member meeting (starting Tuesday afternoon, 10/27) to help reduce additional travel time and costs.
  • Unmatched Setting: We’re returning to The Sazerac House after overwhelming positive feedback from our 2023 Activator Action Summit.
  • Build meaningful connections across the plastics value chain by engaging with peers, partners, and leaders who are advancing progress in plastics circularity. 
  • Gain insights from experts from diverse sectors on emerging trends, policy developments, market shifts, and the evolving role of the USPP in addressing the most pressing barriers facing Activators.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE: 

Monday, October 26

  • 1:00–4:30 pm CT: Activator workshops
  • 4:30–6:00 pm CT: Sazerac House Experience: Self‑Guided Museum Exploration & Spirits Tasting
  • 6:00–7:30 pm CT: Networking reception

Tuesday, October 27

  • 8:00–11:30 am CT: Morning workshops and next steps 

All meeting events will take place at The Sazerac House, on the edge of New Orleans’ historic French Quarter. This beautifully repurposed, newly renovated building is home to an interactive museum and distillery, providing a distinctive and memorable setting for our gathering.

INCLUDED WITH TICKET PURCHASE:

  • Two days of Activator‑focused programming
  • Intentional networking with peers and USPP leadership
  • Sazerac House Experience: Self‑Guided Museum Exploration & Spirits Tasting
  • Monday: Afternoon snacks and refreshments during meeting sessions, heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer & wine during evening networking
  • Tuesday: Breakfast, refreshments during meeting sessions, and lunch

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2026

Questions? Contact us at takeaction@usplasticspact.org.  

Antitrust Reminder: The U.S. Plastics Pact is committed to compliance with applicable antitrust laws. Summit discussions will focus on sustainability initiatives and program implementation and will not include discussions of competitively sensitive topics such as prices, costs, production levels, customers, suppliers, or other competitively sensitive business information.

This is an in-person event for current USPP Activators only.

Register here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/shape-what-comes-next-2026-us-plastics-pact-activator-action-summit

November 14 - BYOBag Day

Join us on November 14th for BYOBag Day, a regional effort to cut down on single-use plastic bags and promote simple, everyday actions that protect our communities and waterways.

Globally, an estimated 2 million plastic bags are used every minute. Each one is typically used for only 12–25 minutes, yet can take hundreds of years to break down — often becoming litter in streets, storm drains, creeks, and rivers. Plastic bags are among the most common items found in environmental cleanups, and they pose long-term risks to wildlife, water quality, and local infrastructure.

Switching to reusable bags is one of the easiest ways to make a meaningful impact. Each reusable bag can eliminate hundreds to thousands of single-use plastic bags, reducing waste at the source and keeping harmful plastics out of our waterways.

On BYOBag Day, stores and business districts across the region will encourage customers to bring their own reusable bags, helping everyone be part of the solution. 

To get involved, Click Here!

August 21 - Plastic Free on the Mississippi

Join us on the Mississippi River for Plastic Free on the Mississippi: Science, Solutions & Celebration, an afternoon centered on learning, action, and community. The event features a conversation on plastic pollution, a screening of *Plastic Detox*, and a solutions-focused social hour that brings people together around practical ways to reduce plastic waste.

Guests should RSVP here:

https://forms.gle/nS9vfrtAubxjvjhg9](https://forms.gle/nS9vfrtAubxjvjhg9

As the evening continues, attendees are invited to enjoy the Flotsam River Circus, a floating, free-to-watch performance of music, acrobatics, and river artistry presented from a handmade raft. Together, the program offers a blend of science, creativity, and celebration along the St. Louis riverfront.

About the Event:

The gathering takes place at 50 S Leonor K Sullivan Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63102, directly on the riverfront. Parking is available for a $10 fee at the payment booth located at 601 S Leonor K Sullivan Blvd. After paying, guests can continue north to the riverfront parking area at 50 S Leonor K Sullivan, situated on a slanted cobblestone surface.

Attendees should bring a reusable water bottle as no cups will be provided. 

Drinks and snacks will be available, including both alcoholic and non‑alcoholic beverage options.

For those staying for the Flotsam River Circus, the viewing area is located a short 5–10 minute walk north at 446 N Leonor K Sullivan Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63102. No seating, beverages, or snacks are provided at the circus site, so guests may wish to bring anything they need for comfort. The performance begins at 6:30 PM.

Learn More:

Flotsam River Circus
The Plastic Detox

Event Organizers: 

For more information about the organizers:
midamericacleanfuturealliance.org
mogreenfuture.com
beyondplastics.org
livinglandsandwaters.org
streamteamsunited.org
onestl.org

August 27 - One Water Missouri on the Barge: Clarifying Nutrient Pollution

MACFA is proud to serve as both a partner and a presenter for this special floating-classroom experience on Thursday, August 27, 2026. Join us on the Mississippi River for a full-day workshop focused on nutrient pollution challenges and solutions in Missouri’s waterways.

This hands-on session brings together practitioners, regulators, and environmental advocates to build shared understanding and identify actionable strategies to improve water quality across the state.

Tickets are $25 per person and include lunch and barge access.

Link to register and for more information about the event

Link for more information about the project

Partners: 

August 28 - 29 - Bull Float trip

https://bullfloat.ozarkoutdoorsresort.com/#about

MACFA is once again sponsoring the  Annual Bull Float Trip, bringing can-only recycling to one of the Ozarks’ biggest summer traditions. Last year, attendees helped us collect more than 30,000 aluminum cans along the Meramec River, and we’re aiming even higher this year. With thousands of floaters, campers, and country-music fans coming together, MACFA is making it easy to keep the river clean and the cans in the recycling stream. Float all day, party all night, recycle every can.  

Here’s a link to a cute video from last year: https://youtube.com/shorts/7yDET7ATrrA?si=Wa8ewDOB1T543d0p

September 28 - MidAmerica Circularity Forum

September 28 - MidAmerica Circularity Social

A night of connection and meaningful conversations with partners joining from all over.

Join us at the National Blues Museum for a night of connection, conversation, and community. We’re gathering in one of St. Louis’s most iconic cultural spaces – a museum dedicated to celebrating the deep roots of blues music and the powerful influence it has had on American culture.

Enjoy an evening of great company, relaxed networking, and meaningful conversations surrounded by the history and artistry that shaped the blues. Whether you’re a longtime partner or new to MACFA’s work, this is the perfect chance to connect, unwind, and be part of a welcoming, inspiring atmosphere.

We can’t wait to see you there.

September 28, 2026, 4:30 – 7pm