Beyond Plastics
Beyond Plastics is a U.S.-based nonprofit advocacy organization that combines policy research and grassroots organizing to end single-use plastic pollution, serving activists, legislators, environmental justice communities, and local governments through free campaigns, education, and coalition work.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBennington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Beyond Plastics does
Beyond Plastics is a U.S.-based nonprofit advocacy organization launched in 2019 as a project of Bennington College's Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA), headquartered in Bennington, Vermont with 21 employees. The organization focuses on ending single-use plastic pollution through policy advocacy, investigative research, and grassroots organizing rather than through commercial products or proprietary technology. Its core offerings include national advocacy campaigns (Ban Vinyl Chloride, Starbucks Cup recyclability tracking, Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act), a published book (The Problem with Plastic, The New Press), a recurring college-level course taught by President Judith Enck, a monthly Ask a Scientist column, a Local Groups and Affiliates grassroots program, a Speakers Bureau, a film screening toolkit, and a tiered Refill Club membership for reuse businesses.
The organization does not sell to paying customers; its services are provided free of charge to supporters, and revenue is generated through tax-deductible donations (payable to Bennington College as fiscal sponsor), foundation grants, and book sales. Its primary customer segments are environmental advocates and activists, policy makers and legislators, environmental justice communities, local and state governments, and educational institutions — engaging them via email action alerts, social media, coalition partnerships with groups such as NAACP NY State Conference, Earthjustice, Hip Hop Caucus, and Toxic-Free Future, and earned media from investigative reports. As of the latest evidence, Beyond Plastics has built a coalition of 300+ organizations and businesses supporting its legislative priorities, with 30+ localities having passed resolutions aligned to its policy agenda.
Beyond Plastics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Beyond Plastics
- Legal name
- Beyond Plastics
- Website
- https://beyondplastics.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Beyond Plastics is a U.S.-based nonprofit advocacy organization that combines policy research and grassroots organizing to end single-use plastic pollution, serving activists, legislators, environmental justice communities, and local governments through free campaigns, education, and coalition work.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Beyond Plastics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pollution Prevention, Chemicals & Waste (incl. Plastics) (BPADALAJ)
Keywords
Where Beyond Plastics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bennington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Beyond Plastics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation Grants: As a nonprofit project of Bennington College, Beyond Plastics likely receives grant funding, though specific donors are not detailed in the source material.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Beyond Plastics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Beyond Plastics is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization that campaigns to end single-use plastic pollution through policy research, investigative reports, public education, and grassroots organizing. It produces educational courses, published books, research reports, and advocacy toolkits, and mobilizes supporters through petitions, rallies, and legislative testimony. The organization operates as a project of Bennington College's Center for the Advancement of Public Action.
Product overview
Beyond Plastics is a nonprofit advocacy organization (a project of Bennington College's Center for the Advancement of Public Action) launched in 2019, focused on ending single-use plastic pollution through education, advocacy, and grassroots organizing. Rather than a technology platform, Beyond Plastics offers a portfolio of educational products including the 'Beyond Plastic Pollution' course, the book 'The Problem with Plastic,' the monthly 'Ask a Scientist' column, and advocacy campaigns targeting corporations (Starbucks, Trader Joe's, Home Depot), Congress (TSCA protection), and the EPA (chemical recycling regulation). Additional offerings include grassroots organizing programs (Local Groups, Affiliates), a Speakers Bureau, film screening toolkits, the Refill Club membership, the Ban Vinyl Chloride campaign microsite, and a Plastics and Health Resource Hub compiling scientific research.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Conducted nationwide Starbucks cup tracking investigation across 21 states showing zero cups reached recycling facilities
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Beyond Plastics
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Beyond Plastics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Beyond Plastics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Bennington College (Center for the Advancement of Public Action)coreBeyond Plastics is a project of Bennington College's Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA). The college serves as the organization's fiscal sponsor, processing donations and providing institutional infrastructure. Beyond Plastics pairs college expertise with grassroots energy to build the plastic pollution movement.
- Local Groups and AffiliatescoreBeyond Plastics supports a network of local volunteer groups and affiliated nonprofit organizations that work on plastic reduction in their communities. Affiliates retain their organizational identity while receiving information and support from Beyond Plastics. Local groups work on advocacy for plastic bans, community reuse programs, and opposing artificial turf installations.
- The New PressmajorThe New Press published 'The Problem with Plastic: How to Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late' by Judith Enck and Adam Mahoney. Beyond Plastics president Judith Enck co-authored the book with journalist Adam Mahoney.
- NAACP New York State ConferencemajorNAACP NY State Conference supports the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and partners with Beyond Plastics on environmental justice advocacy addressing disproportionate impacts of plastic pollution on communities of color.
- Hip Hop CaucusmajorBeyond Plastics and Hip Hop Caucus have partnered on advocacy campaigns including calling on EPA to ban vinyl chloride and supporting packaging reduction legislation.
- EarthjusticemajorEarthjustice partners with Beyond Plastics on advocacy for the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, providing legal expertise on toxic chemical additives in plastics.
- Waterkeeper AllianceminorWaterkeeper Alliance and other land conservancy or bird conservation nonprofits may become affiliates of Beyond Plastics, integrating plastic pollution reduction into their environmental protection work.
- Toxic-Free FuturemajorToxic-Free Future collaborated with Beyond Plastics on research regarding vinyl chloride accidents and PVC plastic pollution. Both organizations advocate for chemical safety regulations and have produced joint reports on toxic cargo transportation risks.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Beyond Plastics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Surfrider Foundation: Grassroots nonprofit advocating for ocean and beach protection, with significant campaigns against single-use plastics and polystyrene. Comparable advocacy infrastructure, volunteer network, and policy targets.
- Oceana: International ocean conservation organization running large-scale campaigns against single-use plastics and plastic pollution. Shares Beyond Plastics' upstream-reduction framing and policy advocacy focus.
- 5 Gyres: Nonprofit focused on plastic pollution research, education, and policy advocacy, particularly around source reduction and microplastics. Closely aligned with Beyond Plastics' upstream-reduction and science-communication approach.
- Plastic Pollution Coalition: A global nonprofit coalition working to end plastic pollution through advocacy, education, and policy. Directly comparable to Beyond Plastics in mission, target policy outcomes, and coalition-based advocacy model.
- Toxic-Free Future: Northwest-focused nonprofit working on toxic chemicals including PVC and vinyl chloride. Active research and policy partner of Beyond Plastics on the vinyl chloride ban campaign with directly overlapping subject matter.
Broad incumbents
- Earthjustice: Larger environmental law organization that litigates and advocates on pollution and toxic chemicals. Active partner of Beyond Plastics on packaging reduction legislation and provides legal capacity that complements Beyond Plastics' grassroots role.
- Greenpeace USA: Large-scale environmental advocacy organization with active plastics campaigns. Comparable in advocacy tactics and federal policy engagement but operates across a much broader environmental agenda.
- Natural Resources Defense Council: Large environmental advocacy organization with active work on plastic pollution, recycling, and packaging waste policy. Comparable federal-level advocacy engagement but with much broader environmental mandate.
- Environmental Defense Fund: Major environmental advocacy organization engaging on plastics, chemicals, and corporate accountability. Overlaps with Beyond Plastics on chemical policy advocacy but operates at significantly larger scale with broader issue scope.
Emerging players
- Story of Stuff: Environmental advocacy nonprofit using media and education to drive campaigns on plastic pollution and corporate accountability. Comparable education-and-advocacy model with a stronger digital-content emphasis.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Beyond Plastics social profiles
Digital presenceBeyond Plastics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Beyond Plastics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Beyond Plastics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Beyond Plastics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Beyond Plastics
What does Beyond Plastics do?
Beyond Plastics is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization that campaigns to end single-use plastic pollution through policy research, investigative reports, public education, and grassroots organizing. It produces educational courses, published books, research reports, and advocacy toolkits, and mobilizes supporters through petitions, rallies, and legislative testimony. The organization operates as a project of Bennington College's Center for the Advancement of Public Action.
Is Beyond Plastics a public or private company?
Beyond Plastics is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Beyond Plastics founded?
Beyond Plastics was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Beyond Plastics based?
Beyond Plastics is headquartered in Bennington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Beyond Plastics make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Grants.
Who are Beyond Plastics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Surfrider Foundation, Oceana, 5 Gyres, Plastic Pollution Coalition and Toxic-Free Future. Broad incumbents are Earthjustice, Greenpeace USA, Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund. Story of Stuff is listed as an emerging player.
Does Beyond Plastics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Beyond Plastics.
What industry is Beyond Plastics in?
Beyond Plastics's product category is Environmental Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAJ, Pollution Prevention, Chemicals & Waste (incl. Plastics). Its NAICS code is 541620.