- Target:
- United Nations
- Region:
- GLOBAL
Plastics are materials made to be thrown away. Only 3-5% of all plastic ever gets recycled. The rest finds its way to the landfill or the ocean.
In the landfill, plastic residues can leach into the groundwater after rain, along with various other chemicals from the trash. This substance, called leachate, is toxic to humans, animals, and many plants.
In the oceans, plastic collects in several places, most notably the North Pacific subtropical gyre, otherwise known as the "Eastern Garbage Patch". This ten million square mile area northwest of Hawai'i is literally six feet deep in plastic, quite possibly more.
Most types of plastic and the various gases they produce are toxic. In fact, the obesity epidemic, rising rates of cancer, and increasing infertility have all been solidly linked to the rising production and consumption of plastics.
Plastics are even now shifting the course of evolution -- of humanity and of animals, such as seabirds and plankton, who come into contact with them. It is arguable that of everything produced by the human race, plastics have had and will continue to have the greatest impact on the environment.
By signing and supporting this petition, you can help to protect our planet and our future.
We, the people of our earth, call on the UN to ban the further production of plastic completely within ten years.
We urge the establishment of programs to research an ecological way to dispose of all plastic currently in the oceans, and the development of a timetable in which to do so.
We further urge research into ecologically viable alternatives to plastics.
We strongly urge research into the actual effects of plastics and associated chemicals on human health.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Ban Plastic petition to United Nations was written by Melanie Detjens and is in the category Environment at GoPetition.