STOP PLASTIC PELLETS FROM POLLUTING OUR OCEANS

An estimated 250,000 tons of pea-sized plastic pellets, known as nurdles, end up in the oceans every year, and significant plastic pellet pollution has been found along the shores of all five Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.

These tiny plastic pellets, the building blocks of most plastics products, are shipped around the world to be melted and molded into new plastic items. Unfortunately, the plastic industry frequently spills these pellets during production and transportation, contributing to the flood of plastic polluting our waterways. Once in the water, plastic pellets are difficult to clean up due to their small size.

There is no national law regulating the discharge of plastic pellets into waterways, but Congress now has the opportunity to change that. The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act (S. 2337 / H.R. 7634) would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets into our oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Urge your members of Congress to protect our oceans from plastic pellet pollution by cosponsoring the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act.

Please feel free to edit the letter text below.

petition text

Dear {contact_data~salutation},

As your constituent, I am asking you to cosponsor the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act (S. 2337 / H.R. 7634). Senator Dick Durbin (IL) and Congressman Mike Levin (CA) introduced this important legislation to stop plastic pellets from polluting our coasts and waterways.

Tiny plastic pellets, or nurdles, are the building blocks of most plastic products. They are shipped around the world to be melted and molded into plastic goods. These plastic pellets easily spill or wash down drains during production and shipping, and end up in our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.

An estimated 250,000 tons of pea-sized plastic pellets enter the oceans worldwide every year, and significant amounts of plastic pellet pollution have been found along the shores of all five Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.

These small pieces of plastic are extremely difficult to clean up once spilled and add to the massive amounts of plastic pollution inundating our oceans and fresh waterways. Plastic pellets break up into smaller microplastics, which have been found in food, drinking water, and even the air. In addition, these pellets have been found to serve as rafts for bacteria like E. coli, which harm our health.

Plastic pellet pollution is also a growing threat to fenceline communities near plastic production plants.

The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastic materials from facilities and sources that make, use, package, or transport plastic pellets.

Please cosponsor the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act (S. 2337 / H.R. 7634) and help protect our oceans, waterways, and communities from unregulated plastic pollution.

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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Background photo credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NOAA permit 20556-01