WeMove Europe is an independent and values-based organisation that seeks to build people power to transform Europe in the name of our community, future generations and the planet.
This petition has now ended. After 650,000 of you called on the EU for action, the European Commission proposed new rules to reduce single-use plastics, and to position the EU as the leader in the global fight against plastic pollution.
But unfortunately some EU member states may still try to hold Europe back. That's why we have now launched a new campaign demanding that EU Member States support the European Commission's proposal to reduce single-use plastics. Sign the new petition here!
Jean-Claude Juncker (President of the EU commission), Frans Timmermans (Vice-President of the EU commission), Karmenu Vella (EU commissioner for the environment) and Jyrki Katainen (Vice-President of the EU-commission)
Petition text
It’s high time to rid the seas and rivers from being flooded with millions of tons of plastic waste. We ask you to stop the trashing of our oceans and to commit to the vision of a world free of plastic pollution. This means setting ambitious goals to reduce the production and use of plastic. You will also need to ensure that plastic is made toxics-free and that recycling greatly increases.
Why is this important?
Europe is the world's second largest plastic producer and the vast use of plastic is growing yearly - but now we have a chance to clean up our act. The European Commission has recently released its long-awaited single-use plastics legislation. [1] While it introduces a number of unprecedented measures to curb plastic waste, there is still room for improvement.For example, the proposal includes a ban on a number of single-use plastic products but fails to set specific reduction targets for Member States. In the coming months, the proposed legislation will be discussed in the European Parliament and the Council of EU Ministers. It’s up to us to tip the balance.
Even the planet's most remote corners, the Arctic, the deep sea or uninhabited islands, are littered with plastic waste. [2] Plastic does not rot – at best it disintegrates into micro-plastic. But even then it remains dangerous: the tiny parts are taken up by plankton [3], eaten by fish and then enter our food chain. It’s threat to our health: Numerous types of plastic contain poisonous additives. [4]
The EU can make a huge contribution to a world free from plastic pollution, so let’s make sure it will not be cut back by the plastic lobby. The Paris climate deal showed: if Europe doesn’t move, nothing happens. The EU must now enact an effective plastic strategy - other countries will then follow.
References:
[1] https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/news/greens-welcome-commissions-plans-curb-plastic-use
[2] Plastic polluted Arctic islands are dumping ground for Gulf Stream, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/16/plastic-polluted-arctic-islands-are-dumping-ground-for-gulf-stream
[3] Microplastics in the sea a growing threat to human health, United Nations warns, http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/microplastics-microbeads-ocean-sea-serious-health-risks-united-nations-warns-a7041036.html
[4] BPA is fine if you ignore most studies about it, http://www.newsweek.com/2015/03/13/bpa-fine-if-you-ignore-most-studies-about-it-311203.html
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Dam the plastic flood!
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Dam the plastic flood!