Target: Patty Hajdu, Canadian Minisiter of Health
Goal: Promote the use of reusable PPE to battle the pandemic and save wildlife and the environment.
In 2020, over 1.5 billion face masks polluted the ocean. Latex gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE) have also accumulated in significant numbers. This horrendous buildup of disposable garbage has devastating effects on the environment that will be felt for more than a century, and the lives of countless animals are threatened. Animal protection groups have found incidents of animals becoming entangled in face masks, gloves, and other equipment, and researchers do not know the effect these articles have on small creatures that cannot be easily studied.
In the days of the currrent pandemic, PPE is a necessary way of life for all people on the planet. In light of this mass use of mostly disposable gear, the government needs to do more to encourage reusable equipment, and to educate people on proper disposal, such as snipping ear loops on face masks.
Sign this petition to urge the government to focus on properly handling the countless amounts of PPE that are poluting the world while still keeping people safe.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Honourable Hajdu,
Personal protective equipment is an life-saving neccessity in the current age. However, these articles have catastrophic environmental impacts that must be mitigated. Billions of masks and gloves polluted the ocean in 2020, and people will still be dealing with the effects of this more than a century from now.
Besides the obvious environmental damage, countless animals are being injured by this waste. I urge you to educate people on proper disposal of PPE, such as cutting ear loops on masks before being thrown away. I also ask that you encourage the use of reusable equipment to help stop billions more garbage from killing animals and the planet.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Ivan Radic
