Dear John,

Big Plastic is pushing for a billion-dollar government bailout.

Plastic pollutes our oceans with nearly 8 million tons of waste every year. Now
this same industry is trying to exploit a global pandemic for profits.

Now is not the time to bail out the plastic industry. The government needs to
focus on protecting people -- not Big Polluters. We need your help to push
Congress to reject this bailout.

Tell your legislators: No bailouts for Big Plastic!
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Every minute, the equivalent of an entire garbage truck of plastic is dumped
into our oceans. It’s choking sea turtles and driving blue whales closer to
extinction. And plastic breaks down into micro-particles that never go away --
poisoning our aquatic systems forever.

And the damage caused by plastic pollution doesn’t stop at the oceans. Plastics
and petrochemicals are the fastest-growing segment of the oil industry, and we
know too well the environmental impacts of oil drilling. And once that oil is
extracted, communities living near facilities that produce plastic suffer from
health issues caused by industrial pollution.

Now, on top of polluting our oceans and frontline communities, the plastics
industry claims it needs a bailout to continue recycling projects during the
pandemic. But these companies weren’t even properly recycling plastic before the
pandemic. One report found that less than 10% of plastic from the last 40 years
has been recycled.

Instead of taking responsibility for its role in environmental destruction, Big
Plastic is trying to stick the bill to taxpayers -- at a time when many are
struggling to feed their families and pay their rent.

Congress could deny the bailout, but your legislators will only act if they hear
from you, John.

Take action now: Tell your legislators not to bail out Big Plastic!
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Our planet can’t take any more plastic pollution. Disposable plastic has made
its way to the deepest depths of our oceans. If we don’t act now, there could be
more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050. We need to hasten our transition
away from single-use plastics -- not give handouts to the companies that make
them.

Big Plastic has had its eyes on exploiting the pandemic from the beginning. In
March, the industry worked to roll back plastic bag bans around the country,
claiming plastic bags are safer than cloth bags. But this claim was based on
dubious science and was really just about increasing plastic bag production.

Now, the plastics industry sees further potential to profit from a pandemic.
It’s lobbying hard to secure taxpayer dollars. So we’re counting on you to fight
harder. Will you take a stand for our oceans?

Tell your legislators: Say no to a Big Plastic bailout!
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Standing with you,
Marcie Keever,
Oceans and vessels program director,
Friends of the Earth

Contact Us:Friends of the Earth U.S.

Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA

1-877-843-8687

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