Plastic waste is
overwhelming our planet, clogging our landfills, our
waterways, and even our bodies with tiny microplastics.
While going plastic-free is the best solution, a
second-best option is to prioritize
recycling.
But rich countries like the U.S.
don't want to deal with their own
recycling. Instead, these governments
often ship recycling overseas to countries with fewer
financial resources — leaving them to
shoulder the intense burden that we're pointedly
avoiding.
Now, a new analysis from the United
Nations is showing that rich nations have been
exporting around twice as many plastics to
poorer countries, compared with what we
previously thought.
But
recycling plastics is expensive, so this option often
means that recycling doesn't even occur at all. Instead
importers frequently burn the plastics or toss them in
landfills to contaminate the earth and water. This
creates a huge risk to public health in
those countries.
Nations that export huge amounts
of plastic waste — including the U.S., Japan, U.K. and
also the European Union — must take responsibility for
their own mess.
Sign the petition to demand
these governments stop sending recycling overseas for
processing elsewhere, and instead deal with the waste
problems their own residents
created!
