Target: Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of UK House of Commons
Goal: Enact ban on toxic plastic beads used in sewage treatment.
Millions of mysterious plastic beads washed ashore at a beach in England. Their arrival was followed by an uptick in reports of dead seals. A utility company, Southern Water, eventually revealed itself to be the unwitting culprit of this environmental crisis. The company had used the small pellets as part of its sewage treatment practices, and a breakdown in a filter had led to the bio-beads’ release. While the company vowed a cleanup, the damage had already been done.
These beads, much like other microplastics, pose an imminent risk to wildlife and even to the health of humans. Even when the beads break down, their toxic blueprint remains. In response to the disaster, some UK politicians have called for a ban on the outdated use of these toxins for sewage treatment.
Sign the petition below to support this important and much-needed reform.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Sir Hoyle,
The toxic beads that recently consumed Camber Sands beach contained lead, arsenic, and other dangerous metals, according to King’s College London scientists. They also contained a high amount of a substance correlated with increased cancer rates. With these so-called bio-beads having no useful modern benefit, as experts assert, their continued presence in sewage treatment is not only unwarranted but dangerous to all living organisms who encounter them.
It is past time to honor the Wildlife Trusts and MP Helena Dollimore’s calls for a ban on this toxin. Protect the birds, marine life, and coastal communities at risk from the next avoidable environmental catastrophe.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Discott
