50 signatures reached
To: Mayor Tim Kabat
Ban Single-Use Plastic in La Crosse, WI
A city wide single-use plastic ban starting with straws, drink stirrers, plastic bags, and then moving to to-go containers. The myriad of problems caused by single-use plastic can be mitigated by simply advocating—and legislating—a ban on the consumption. Signing this petition is a small step that can make a big difference.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Why is this important?
The invention of plastic in 1907 is considerably recent. Since then, it has started to accumulate in the environment, our water, our blood, and we have only recently learned some of the biggest consequences of this material. Only about 9% of plastic is ever recycled and 12 billion metric tons (13.2 billion US tons) will enter landfills or the environment by 2050 if current trends continue.
Chemicals leached from some plastics used in food/beverage storage are harmful to human health. Correlations have been shown between levels of some of these chemicals, and an increased risk of problems such as chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy.
Many plastics contain phthalates (DEHP) and the chemical BPA., these chemicals make their way into our food and into our bodies. Both chemicals are potentially harmful to human hormones, reproductive systems, and early childhood development. Dangerous chemicals such as BPA are found in more than 90% of the human population.
We know huge concentrations of plastic debris cover large swaths of the ocean, what we don't know is if the Mississippi has dodged this plastic infestation?
The plastic mass between California and Hawaii is the size of the state of Texas. Sea creatures eat or get ensnared in plastic debris and can be killed or maimed. Plastic that is consumed by marine organisms, as well as the toxins they absorb from the water, accumulate up the food chain making seafood potentially dangerous for humans as well. According to a study by Plymouth University, one third of the fish caught in the UK had plastic inside.Scientists predict that if nothing changes in our plastic consumption habits, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish (by weight). Each year, more than a million marine creatures and other birds and animals die from plastic pollution in their habitats.
Chemicals leached from some plastics used in food/beverage storage are harmful to human health. Correlations have been shown between levels of some of these chemicals, and an increased risk of problems such as chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy.
Many plastics contain phthalates (DEHP) and the chemical BPA., these chemicals make their way into our food and into our bodies. Both chemicals are potentially harmful to human hormones, reproductive systems, and early childhood development. Dangerous chemicals such as BPA are found in more than 90% of the human population.
We know huge concentrations of plastic debris cover large swaths of the ocean, what we don't know is if the Mississippi has dodged this plastic infestation?
The plastic mass between California and Hawaii is the size of the state of Texas. Sea creatures eat or get ensnared in plastic debris and can be killed or maimed. Plastic that is consumed by marine organisms, as well as the toxins they absorb from the water, accumulate up the food chain making seafood potentially dangerous for humans as well. According to a study by Plymouth University, one third of the fish caught in the UK had plastic inside.Scientists predict that if nothing changes in our plastic consumption habits, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish (by weight). Each year, more than a million marine creatures and other birds and animals die from plastic pollution in their habitats.