UPDATE 19 Dec 2018: Petition closed with over 272,000 signatures. EU plastics law agreed this week is weaker than what the European Parliament supports, and what the plastic pollution crisis requires -- but it's a leap forward. Corporations will be made to pay for their pollution -- and that's thanks to public pressure!
Multinationals tried to stop the EU getting tough on their #PlasticPollution. But EU negotiators last night agreed a text that will finally make corporations pay. More to do next year, but certainly worth celebrating today! More info: https://t.co/H8LAXzwPUS pic.twitter.com/ku2emzyHdU
— SumOfUs (@SumOfUs) December 19, 2018
This year we’ve seen heartbreaking images of dead sea turtles and birds, their bellies bloated with plastic. Scientists estimate that up to 12 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans each year. And it won’t stop until the corporations who make the plastic products and packaging are forced to pay for their mess.
The European Parliament will soon vote on new rules to cut back on single-use plastics in Europe. 69 MEPs on the Environment Committee will vote on October 10, and that’s where we’ve got to beat the plastics lobby to win. Tough rules on plastic pollution in Europe could save marine life all over the globe.
Tell the European Parliament Environment Committee to vote for people and planet, and ensure that corporations pay for their pollution.
MEPs on the Environment Committee need to ensure that any changes they make before October 10 are legitimate improvements to the rules, and not compromises for corporations. One key part of the proposed EU rules that they should strengthen, for example, is called "extended producer responsibility". It means that corporations have to pay for their plastic waste, instead of leaving the cleanup for everyone else to deal with. The risk now, is that pro-plastics MEPs will try to weaken the rules, especially the part about making the corporations pay.
On the other hand, people with mobility-related impairments or neurological conditions rely on plastic straws because of their flexible and temperature-resilient qualities, so it’s only right that MEPs take extra care on legislating for plastic straws.
Together, we can convince the EU to take game-changing action against plastic waste and make the world more accessible.
More information
Single-use Plastics and Fishing Gear: Reducing Marine Litter from Plastics
European Parliament. 24 September 2018.
European Parliament. 24 September 2018.
European Commission steps forward to cut on single-use plastics – but it’s just the beginning
Break Free From Plastic. 28 May 2018.
Break Free From Plastic. 28 May 2018.