Hi,

Plastic pollution is not merely about marine life and cleanups; humanity itself is under threat, from the womb to the grave.¹

Plastics have a huge impact on human health, leaching harmful chemicals into our food, water, and air leading to hormonal issues,² increased cancers risks,³ and developmental issues.⁴ As the plastics breakdown into micro and nano-plastics they are able to penetrate every aspect of our lives and their production pumps emissions directly into the atmosphere further exacerbating the climate crisis.⁵ That’s why Earth Day 2024’s theme is Planet vs. Plastics, which we believe embodies the struggle we all face for human and planetary health.

We must demand action from world leaders to address the issue. The Global Plastics Treaty is the first step to united global action⁶ — but we need to make sure that they commit to effective measures instead of just do lip service.

Please sign the petition calling for a strong Global Plastics Treaty.

As with any international treaty, success is impossible without strict enforcement and commitment by participating countries. Here are our demands to the United Nations and World Government Organizations:

• Support a highly ambitious Global Plastic Treaty that binds all to the same standards
• A 60% of reduction of all fossil fuel-based plastic production by 2040
• Require producers and retailers of plastics to be liable for the cost of any environmental or health-related damages in accordance with the “producer pays” principle
• Public and private sector investments in innovation to replace all fossil fuel-based plastics
• Ban all plastic-related tobacco products including, but not limited to tobacco filters and e-cigarettes
• Ban the export of plastic waste
• End the incineration of plastic waste
• Support innovative solutions and alternatives to plastic in all sectors
• Fully finance education and public awareness campaigns to inform the public about reasons and strategies for ending plastic pollution

The Earth Day movement is the largest environmental force in the world, and we’re mobilizing your voices to demand world leaders step up and protect their people. Add your signature to the petition and renew your commitment to fighting plastics.

For human and planetary health,

Kathleen Rogers
President

Footnotes:

1. The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/22/microplastics-revealed-in-placentas-unborn-babies

2. The Harvard Gazette: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/01/plastic-additive-linked-to-excessive-reproductive-abnormalities/

3. The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/29/plastics-cause-wide-ranging-health-issues-from-cancer-to-birth-defects-landmark-study-finds

4. National Institutes of Health: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5615581/

5. Center for International Environmental Law: https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fueling-Plastics-Fossils-Plastics-Petrochemical-Feedstocks.pdf

6. United Nations: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/historic-day-campaign-beat-plastic-pollution-nations-commit-develop