Day 16: Sign a petition on plastic pollution

Signing a petition on plastic pollution is a way to demonstrate that we require action now and to participate in the process of change.

With each petition on plastic or any other subject, it is important to fact check, know who is behind it and read the fine print to ensure it will legitimately represent your opinion, before adding your name.

Here are few active petitions on plastic pollution:

UK supermarkets currently generate 900,000 tonnes of plastic packaging every year. But our oceans can’t stomach any more plastic! From turtles entangled in six pack rings to whales with stomachs full of plastic bags, the effects of plastic pollution can be devastating. Some supermarkets have trialled and announced plastic reduction measures, but we need industry-wide action across the UK. By ditching plastic packaging, supermarkets have the power to lead the way in dramatically reducing the amount of single-use plastic produced. Add your name to the petition and tell UK supermarkets to ditch throwaway plastic packaging. 

Greenpeace

Hi, my name is Skye and I am 10 years old. I am very concerned by the amount of plastic that is still being produced, thrown away and polluting our oceans and environment. This is why I want the magazine and comic publishers to really care for the environment and STOP giving away plastic toys with their publications. I really enjoy reading the magazines, I particularly like ‘Horrible Histories’ but I just want the magazine, I don’t want or need the cheap plastic toys which are either played with for a few minutes or break on the first use and then thrown away. Any ‘gifts’ that the magazines offer should be sustainable and ethical so that we can protect our planet for us and future generations.

Hannah Neville

Plastic waste processing plants should be built across the UK. Plastic waste should be processed in a way to minimize environmental harm. Within three years the export of plastic waste should be banned. The UK’s approach to plastic recycling is a sham and the environmental harm being caused is immoral. As seen on TV, much of the UK’s plastic waste is being exported to places like Turkey and Asia, where much of the waste is burned, poisoning the environment. If the UK builds sufficient plastic waste processing plants, we can take responsibility for our own waste, and stop exporting our problem. This will create jobs, reduce environmental harm, and improve the UK’s international reputation.

Nigel Warren

Conventional period products contain up to 90% plastic and are constantly being manufactured, used for between 4-8 hours, disposed of and then take over 500 years to break down! That’s over 7 times the average lifetime of the person using them, meaning if Jane Austen had used them they would still be decomposing today!

Ella Daish 

Much of the plastic included in e-commerce shipping is not recyclable at all or is very difficult to recycle given the lack of facilities. 91% of all plastic ends up as litter, in landfills or incinerated. Paper and other biodegradable materials are as effective and similar in price to plastic and bubble-wrap, which Amazon requires from it’s marketplace sellers. It’s time they updated both their checkout options and their marketplace requirements to remove the ‘bubble-wrap non-compliance’ penalties.

Nicole Delma at FOND Group 

Every year we throw away millions of tonnes of plastic. And vast amounts of it finds its way into our soils, our rivers, our oceans, and the air we breathe. As the plastic breaks down into tiny pieces it’s consumed by marine animals. All this plastic pollution means a cocktail of harmful chemicals can be passed up the food chain. There’s increasing evidence that we ingest microplastics but we’re yet to find out the long-term effects on human health. We need the government to stem the tide of plastic pollution

Friends of the Earth

Plastic pollution kills. It poisons our air and water, and gets into our bodies. Plastic will soon outweigh all the fish in the sea, and it’s in our drinking water and on our plates. Yet the fossil fuel industry plans to increase plastic production by 40% over the next decade. President Biden can, and must, act on plastic pollution. We must stop producing more plastic and transform our throwaway economy to a regenerative one. We demand President Biden take bold action on plastic pollution and be a #PlasticFreePresident.

Action Network

Do you know of a petition on plastic pollution that should be added to this list? Add the link to the comment section below!