Make ReCycling the Law!

The Issue:

The Pacific Ocean has become the world's largest dumping grounds. Every year approximately 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped into the ocean. 90% of the trash floating in our oceans is Plastic. The United Nations Environment Program estimated in 2006 that every square mile of ocean hosts 46,000 pieces of floating plastic. The main problem with plastic, besides there being so much of it, is that it doesn't biodegrade. Instead plastic photodegrades into millions of tiny pieces floating forever in our seas or ingested by marine life mistaking this plastic flotsam as food. Plastic waste thus enters the food chain and ultimately works its way up the food chain to us. In total, more than a million bird and marine animals die each year from consuming or becoming caught in plastic and other debris. We are literally wrapping our oceans in a layer of plastic that not only threatens marine life but mankind as we know it.

Scientists who have studied the issue say that trawling the ocean for all of its trash is impossible and would harm plankton and other marine life. It's simply not possible to thoroughly clean a section of ocean that spans the area of a continent and extends 100 feet below the surface.

Our Solution:

The only solution is to stop the trash from getting to the ocean by cutting down our waste and increasing recycling programs. It comes down to managing waste on land, where most of the trash originates. Recycling programs should be expanded to accommodate more types of plastic, and the public must be educated about their value. Recycling not only benefits the environment but it could also benefit our economy. Economic analysis shows that recycling can generate three times as much revenue per ton as landfill disposal and almost six times as many jobs. We need a national law that expands recycling programs and requires every household, business and commercial site to recycle.

Take Action:

Our kids' futures are in jeopardy. We cannot wait for politicians and governments to save us. It's up to us to make a difference. It's up to you. Help us pass this law. This petition will be sent to President Obama and key govenors around the country. Sign it. We have pushed mother nature to the breaking point. Now she needs our help. Sign the petition to make recycling a national law, and help us protect our planet.