Urge your Member of Congress: Co-sponsor the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act!

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Dear ,

I’m writing to urge you to co-sponsor the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act today. The bill was introduced earlier this year by Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.).

Plastic pollution is reaching crisis levels. Every year, the United States alone burns or landfills 32 million tons of plastic, while 8 million tons of plastic pollution escapes into the world's oceans. Plastic production is increasing exponentially and is projected to increase by an alarming 40% over the next decade alone despite the growing signs that there’s nowhere for it to go. Plastic is already showing up in our drinking water, in our air and in some of the most remote ecosystems on earth.

The fact that just 9% of plastics have ever been recycled is a testament to the overreliance on recycling as an answer to the problem. I’m urging you to endorse the bill as it gets to the root cause of what’s driving the plastic crisis and will stop enabling the plastics industry to externalize their costs onto taxpayers.

This legislation meaningfully addresses the plastic pollution crisis by:
-- Shifting responsibility for waste management and recycling to manufacturers and producers
-- Setting up a national beverage container refund program
-- Establishing minimum recycled content standards 
-- Phasing out single-use plastic products that aren’t recyclable
-- Prohibiting plastic waste from being exported to developing countries
-- Placing a moratorium on new plastic facilities pending the EPA re-examining environmental and health regulations on those facilities

At a time when public finances are facing unprecedented challenges, you have an opportunity to help relieve the burden on taxpayers and establish your leadership on tackling the plastic pollution crisis. Thanks for your consideration.

Regards,

The plastics industry has exploited the coronavirus pandemic to leverage new markets and continue pushing their social, environmental and financial costs of plastic onto the public. It’s time to fight back!

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act is a comprehensive new federal bill addressing the root causes of the plastic pollution crisis. The bill would ban waste exports, pause the massive build-out of new plastic factories, establish a 'polluter pays' principle to waste management, and would ban some of the worst offending single-use plastics products, among other measures.

The bill will face sharp resistance from industry lobbyists in Washington DC in the months ahead, that’s why we need to build support for the legislation by having more Members of Congress endorse the bill ahead of upcoming votes.

Ask your Member of Congress to co-sponsor the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act!