A chance for a less rubbish world

Plastic pollution has a devastating impact on people living in poverty, and all of creation. In early-November, the UK parliament is considering new commitments to reduce plastic pollution that could pave the way for global change. Please join us in speaking up and praying. 

‘Our world has a rubbish problem, and it’s hitting people living in poverty hardest.’

This is the message we’ve shared repeatedly in our Rubbish Campaign as a call for Christians to take action on single-use plastics. Over the last 18 months, tens of thousands have stepped up in prayer and action. Responding to Jesus’ call to love our neighbours, many sent messages to multinational companies, gave up single-use plastics items and prayed for an end to plastic pollution. 

Our global neighbours are people like Daiane in Brazil. The river near her house is blocked with plastic rubbish and floods every time it rains, causing sickness and diarrhoea. Or Rubina in Pakistan, who sees her son struggle for breath when people in their community have to burn plastic rubbish because there is no waste collection.

Some good progress has been made – but we now have another urgent opportunity to speak up and make a difference on the plastic crisis. 

A key moment for fighting plastic pollution

The Plastic Pollution Bill and an amendment to the Environment Bill are both due to be debated in the House of Commons very soon and will need cross-party support. Right now, we have a prime opportunity to voice our support for the UK taking crucial action to reduce plastic pollution.

Tearfund is part of a group of organisations (including Surfers Against Sewage, Friends of the Earth, the Women's Institute and Keep Britain Tidy) urging the UK government to set plastic pollution-reduction targets and see them enshrined in law, and working towards non-essential single-use plastics being phased out. 

The UK taking a lead on this issue could pave the way for global change, creating a better world for those living in poverty around the world. These bills represent significant steps in the right direction that could lead the way for other countries to follow suit. 

What can you do? 
We’re called as Christians to speak up on issues of injustice. As we read in Proverbs 31:9: ‘Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.’ 

To influence these crucial decisions, please email your MP as soon as you can, asking them to support the Plastic Pollution Bill and the amendment to the Environment Bill. You could use our letter template below, which contains more specific details on what your MP can do.

To take action, simply follow these steps:

• Find your MP’s email address from the UK Parliament website.
• Download our letter template, add your details in the marked areas, and edit it as you like to make it your own. 
• Copy and paste that into an email and send to your MP

We are expecting the bills to come to parliament in early November. It may be worth marking the subject line of your email as ‘urgent’ as the window for influencing is so tight. 

Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions. And please do forward to us any replies you get from your MP, as they really help us to hone our lobbying strategy. 

Please pray

• Pray that the UK will become a world leader in plastic reduction. 
• Pray that the Plastic Pollution Bill and the amendment to the Environment Bill gain the support they need to bring about an end to the sale, use and production of non-essential single-use plastic products.
• Pray that the people living in poverty will be freed from the impacts of plastic pollution.