Hi,

Did you know the United States generates enough plastic waste to fill a
football stadium 1.5 times every single day? And that amount is
increasing. That’s because only 8% of this plastic, specifically
single-use plastic like foam cups and plastic bags, is recycled, leaving
the rest to be landfilled, incinerated, or littered.^1

Big Oil companies are behind the push to continue using deadly, dirty
plastics, even when there are safer, cleaner alternatives. In fact,
plastics production is on track to emit more fossil fuels contributing to
climate change than coal power plants by 2030.^2 Corporate greed is
driving fossil fuel executives to increase profits no matter what the
impacts are to public health and the environment. It’s past time for
Congress to act.

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Tell Congress to ban single use plastics to protect
our environment and public health.

ADD YOUR NAME

Single-use plastics have a huge, and devastating, impact on marine life
affecting at least 267 species around the world, including 86% of the
types of sea turtles, 43% of all marine mammals like whales and sea
otters, and 44% of all seabird species.^3 The plastic debris injures and
kills these animals from accidental ingestion, entanglement, suffocation
and more.

And it’s not only a concern for wild animals — single use plastics also
have substantial public health effects. According to the World Wildlife
Fund, you likely consume 2,000 microplastic particles adding up to 5
grams, about the size of a credit card, of microplastics every single
week.^4

While there is uncertainty around the effects, there is serious potential
for that exposure to cause significant harm. Chemicals in plastics for
example, specifically phthalates, have been shown to harm children’s brain
development that can cause learning and behavioral disorders.^5

Until Congress stands up to fossil fuel producing plastics manufacturers
and Big Oil companies benefiting from the dangerous use of plastics, we’re
all at risk.

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Tell Congress to ban single use plastics to protect
our environment and public health.

Thanks for taking action,

Joey and the team at Demand Progress

[ [link removed] ]DONATE

Sources:

 1. Public Interest Network, "Banning Single-Use Plastics,” [ [link removed] ]February
2020.
 2. Ibid.
 3. Clean Water Action, "The Problem of Marine Plastic Pollution,"
[ [link removed] ]2024.
 4. CNN, "You could be swallowing a credit card’s weight in plastic every
week,” [ [link removed] ]June 17, 2019.
 5. CNN, "Chemicals in plastics damage babies’ brains and must be banned
immediately, expert group says,” [ [link removed] ]February 20, 2021.

 
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