Last week, the Ban the Bottle petition surpassed 100,000 signatures.
This a huge milestone for the Plastics campaign and for the movement to ban single-use plastic bottles and mandate refill and reuse solutions.
The turning point came after a sculpture of a giant toroa (albatross) with a ten-metre wingspan, was revealed at Mission Bay in Auckland.
The sculpture is made out of single-use plastic bottles, and crafted in remembrance of the toroa who starved to death after swallowing a plastic bottle in 2020. The petition calling for a ban on all single-use plastic bottles was also created after this toroa died.
It acts as a stark reminder of the destruction that plastic, and in this case, single-use plastic bottles, are causing to all living creatures in nature, including humans.
“I feel very proud for everyone who has supported this plastics campaign and who has supported the petition. It was a phenomenal result to reach 100,000 signatures,” said Greenpeace Aotearoa plastics campaigner Juressa Lee.
“This says very clearly that New Zealanders want action on plastic pollution and we know banning the bottle is the next step we must take. We banned plastic bags and we can do it with single-use plastic bottles.”
The petition numbers have continued to climb, Lee says it reflects the shift in society’s thinking around plastic and plastic pollution.
She also says it is now necessary for the New Zealand Government to ban single-use plastic bottles and mandate refill and reuse solutions.
“More than 100,000 people are now telling the NZ Govt that urgent action on plastic pollution is needed, and that we must now ban the bottle. More than 100,000 people are also saying that they want refill and reuse solutions to be mandated by the Government. This is a clear call to action that the Government must act.”
Lee says that Greenpeace Aotearoa will take Birdie out for more appearances in 2022 to talk with the public about the harms of single-use plastic bottles and plastic pollution and grow the petition to 150,000.
“Plastic pollution is the number one concern of New Zealanders according to a Colmar Brunton poll that states 72% of New Zealanders are concerned about the build-up of plastic in the environment. We look forward to meeting supporters and are interested in hearing their thoughts and worries about the plastic crisis we are in.”
Call on the NZ Government to ban unnecessary single-use plastic bottles* in NZ, and to incentivise reusable and refillable alternatives.
