Fast fashion is an integral part of our fast-paced society. It offers a wide choice and is cheap for the consumer.

To be able to produce cheaply, manufacturers accept environmentally harmful and poor working conditions in low-wage countries. The choice of inferior materials also creates environmental problems even beyond the lifetime of the products.

Studies show that washing these products releases huge amounts of microplastic particles. Even modern sewage treatment plants are poor at filtering out the microplastics. And even if they did - since sewage sludge is often used as fertiliser on fields, the microplastics still end up in the environment. However, millions of households worldwide are not even connected to sewage treatment plants. Wastewater is discharged directly into rivers, so that the microplastics end up unfiltered in the sea.

This must not be allowed to happen! The sea must no longer be the dustbin of our civilisation!

Microplastics accumulate there and are consumed by animals. This is how it enters the food chain. Until it ends up on our plates.

The manufacturers of washing machines should be involved in solving this problem! They must develop appropriate technologies that prevent microplastics from entering the wastewater.

Dear addressees of this petition, please make sure that this happens by taking appropriate measures!