Our oceans face a massive and growing threat from plastic pollution. Each year, over 300 million tons of plastic is produced out of which half is used for single-use items such as shopping bags, water bottles, and straws. At least 8 million tons of this plastic produced enters the marine environment every year, which is roughly equivalent to dumping a garbage truck full of plastic into the oceans every minute. 

Marine wildlife, such as dolphins, whales, fishes, and turtles, oftentimes mistake plastic waste for food, potentially causing them to suffer from lacerations, infections, and internal injuries. Each year, plastic waste also causes the death of more than a million seabirds as well as the death of more than 100,000 marine creatures. Furthermore, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, if we continue to pollute the ocean with plastic at the rate we do today, then by 2050, the population of fish will be outnumbered by the amount of plastic. Along with threatening marine wildlife, plastic pollution in our oceans threatens food safety and quality, human health, and coastal tourism. 

The United States must put in place a set of policies to effectively tackle the challenge of plastic pollution in oceans. It is necessary for The United States to support research and innovation in order to develop new products to replace single-use plastics and to encourage a shift to refillable and reusable alternatives. This will truly allow for us to lower the amount of plastic put into our oceans every year.

I am asking you to please support this cause by signing this petition in order to tackle plastic pollution and protect our oceans!