URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Stop plastic companies from weakening Canada's negotiating stance on plastic pollution - Act Now by sending your letter to Minister Guilbeault!

The only way to prevent industry from succeeding is to overwhelm Environment and Climate Change Canada with Canadians calling for a strong position on ending plastic production and consumption. Numbers count!

We really need your help to insist Canada takes a strong position against plastic pollution – act now to help us rid the planet of plastice pollution.

There are only 72 hours left. Send in your letter by end of the day Sunday September 17th. Feel free to customize the letter we’re sharing with you here. And if you can, please share this message with family, friends and colleagues.

Here’s why you should be concerned and send in your letter. Plastic pollution is growing in leaps and bounds.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports that plastic production increased 230-fold from 1950 to 2019, and, in the absence of new policies, the amount of plastic waste produced globally (393 million tonnes in 2019) is on track to almost triple by 2060 – about half will end up in landfills, and less than a fifth recycled.

Each year, globally, about 8 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the oceans from land. This is equivalent to dumping one garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute.

Plastic pollution is now found in fish, in the nests of birds and bees, in humans and human placenta and fetuses – virtually everywhere!

Industry is not going to put the brakes on this growing pollution unless you and citizens around the world insist on it. A new legally binding global agreement is under negotiation but we need your voice to make sure it is strong!

One contentious issue is whether there should be a limit to the production and consumption of plastic – something industry is resisting mightily. Don’t forget that plastic production is seen by industry as the new market for all that fossil fuel we won’t need as cars, buses and more transport is electrified. So, the fossil fuel companies desperately need more plastic production.

When world governments meet for the third negotiation in November, the plastic corporations will pull out the stops to undermine the Treaty’s impact on their growing business of plastic pollution.

Letter to Minister Guilbeault calling for a strong position on ending plastic production and consumption.*
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister Environment and Climate Change Canada Dear Minister Guilbeault, Thank you for the opportunity to provide my advice towards the ambitious new legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution. I am writing as a private citizen. Regarding the highest priorities, Canada should focus on these priorities shown in order of importance: Measures to reduce the supply of primary plastics (i.e., virgin plastics not made of recycled materials); Measures to eliminate or restrict unnecessary, avoidable or problematic plastic products and polymers and chemicals of concern (e.g. plastic products, polymers, or chemicals and additives in plastics that pose a risk to environmental or human health, or make it difficult to recycle) to reduce the amount entering the market and prevent pollution; and, Measures to reduce the release of plastic pollution, including microplastics, to the environment across all stages of the plastics lifecycle (manufacturing, transportation, consumption, disposal). Yes, the agreement must include measures to restrict primary plastic production (e.g., through a cap or limit of primary plastics in certain applications or products). Yes, the agreement must include measures to ban, phase-out and/or reduce unnecessary, avoidable and problematic plastic products (i.e. certain single-use plastic) and polymers and chemicals of concern (i.e. certain additives). The Montreal Protocol is using this approach successfully to reduce ozone-depleting chemicals; it should be replicated for the Global Plastic Treaty. These potential criteria should be considered to identify unnecessary, avoidable and problematic plastic products and polymers and chemicals of concern: 1. Commonly found in the environment 2. Harmful or pose a risk to the environment 3. Harmful or pose a risk to human health Finally, to reduce and remove plastic pollution, including microplastics in the environment from all sources (e.g., including from abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear), the Treaty needs to establish and implement measures to eliminate or significantly reduce the releases of plastic, including microplastics, to water, soil and air. Much like earlier global agreements, the new Global Plastic Treaty needs to have a science and technical body to advance research and monitoring, measure and report on trends and innovations and to inform decision making. It is critical that this new science and technical body be composed of independent scientists and government representatives with no industry or industry funded representatives. Mr. Guilbeault, we are counting on you to resist the plastic industry’s pressure to do as little as possible in formulating this new Global Plastic Treaty. To re-iterate, the most important element is the capping of primary plastic production and consumption. Thank you for your important work towards this upcoming negotiation. Sincerely yours,
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URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Stop plastic companies from weakening Canada's negotiating stance on plastic pollution - Act Now by sending your letter to Minister Guilbeault!

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