The Facts
The facts are scary.
1. The amount of plastic in the ocean could outweigh the amount of fish by 2050 (Government of Canada).
2. Canadians generate about 3.25 million tonnes – about 140,000 garbage trucks' worth – of plastic waste, each year (Greenpeace Canada).
3. Single-use plastics that we use for a few minutes then throw in the garbage – things like plastic bags, straws, cups and bottles – never decompose. Many end up in our oceans killing over 100,000 marine animals every year.
4. Plastic is made of crude oil and other unhealthy carbon compounds. Plastic that does decompose breaks down slowly into microplastics. Because of the small size of microplastics, its able to pass through filtration systems and so ends up in our water systems. Marine animals, that we humans eat, ingest these microplastics. That means we, humans, are ingesting crude oil and unhealthy carbon compounds as a result of plastic waste.
Solution
Several countries around the world have banned various forms of plastic. Canadian cities such as Victoria, Vancouver, Montreal, as well as the entire province of Prince Edward Island are on their way to banning single-use plastics. The City of Terrace needs to follow in their footprints.
We, the citizens of Terrace, stand together to advocate for our environment and the livelihood of future generations.
We, the undersigned, ask that…
The City of Terrace bans single-use plastics and makes available viable, biodegradable alternatives.
