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Cape Verde Plastic Petition

Some of Cape Verde's worst plastic pollution comes from the sea as oceanic currents carry it onto the shore.

Plastic pollution has increased over the last 30 years and now presents as a global problem that requires collective action to solve. Plastic has become so abundant it is constantly all around us — in our homes, schools, workplaces, and even our natural spaces.

Currently, only 9% of plastic all plastic consumed is being recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills or the environment. Plastic’s chemical composition makes it unable to fully decompose, causing pollution to build up and creating problems for our planet and human health. If we keep using plastic at this rate, our planet will suffer.

Much of the plastic pollution found on Cape Verde stems from lines and nets from fishing vessels abroad. While volunteers and the municipality alike have been collecting plastic debris from the Sal Islands, however with no dialog with the fishing industry, controlling the plastic debris is a difficult task. Ask the Cape Verde government to represent these issues as urgent at the United Nations and spearhead negotiations into decreasing plastic fishing net and line pollution by investing in new technologies that prevent the continued pollution in waters surrounding Cape Verde.

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