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!
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!
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!
Standing with you,
Marcie Keever,
Oceans and vessels program director,
Friends of the Earth
