“Leash the Lid – Support AB-319” Campaign Video (2018)

Video Synopsis

This powerful advocacy video from the Save the Albatross Coalition makes an urgent case for California Assembly Bill 319, which would require beverage manufacturers to tether bottle caps to containers. The video combines stark statistics about plastic pollution with compelling imagery of marine wildlife suffering from plastic ingestion.

Key Messages

The Crisis in Numbers

• 8 million tonnes of plastic waste enter oceans annually
• 80% of recorded marine species are now eating plastics
• Hundreds of thousands of marine animals die yearly with stomachs full of plastic
• Bottle caps are the primary culprit, blocking digestive systems and causing starvation

The Albatross as Symbol The video focuses on the “majestic circumnavigator of the sea” – the albatross – as emblematic of marine life threatened by plastic pollution. These magnificent seabirds face extinction primarily due to bottle cap ingestion, making them the perfect ambassador for this specific legislative solution.

Historical Precedent The video draws a compelling parallel to the 1970s elimination of pull-tabs from soda cans, which once seemed “inconceivable” to change. This comparison suggests that today’s detached bottle caps will seem equally absurd in retrospect, positioning AB-319 as inevitable progress rather than radical change.

Toxic Double Impact Beyond physical blockages, the video explains that plastic ingestion delivers a “double poison” – both the plastic material itself and accumulated toxins like heavy metals that stick to plastic surfaces in marine environments.

Call to Action The video urges viewers to:

• Donate to the Leash the Lid campaign
• Sign the Change.org petition directed at Coca-Cola and PepsiCo
• Contact California legislators to support AB-319
• Join a broader “political revolution” demanding zero waste

Tone and Approach

The video balances scientific facts with emotional appeals, using phrases like “permanent ugly devastating blight” and “bird after bird after bird full of trash” to create urgency. It positions supporters as “political revolutionaries” demanding systemic change, elevating bottle cap legislation to part of a larger environmental movement.

Historical Context

This video was created during STAC’s 2017-2018 campaign for AB-319. While that specific bill ultimately failed to advance, the video’s messaging and advocacy approach laid groundwork for ongoing legislative efforts, including the current SB-45 campaign that continues pursuing the same tethered cap solution.