Tearfund has launched its rubbish campaign and Stretford and Urmston MP, Andrew Western, went to the launch to find out more.
The rubbish campaign focusses on the impact of plastic pollution on the poorest people in the world. According to Tearfund’s research, two billion people – one in four of us – have no safe way to dispose of rubbish, meaning that many across the developing world are forced to live and work amongst piles of waste. Plastic pollution is also causing up to a million deaths each year – that’s one person dying every 30 seconds.
Governments from around the world are currently meeting to develop the first ever United Nations Treaty on plastic pollution. Tearfund is calling on the UK Government to use its position to push for a treaty that fully addresses the impacts of waste on people living in poverty.
Andrew recently met with pupils from Gorse Hill Primary School, who spoke to him about environmental issues, so he was especially keen to hear about Tearfund’s campaign, as he’ll be able to tell the children about it.
The Stretford and Urmston MP said: “After recently getting grilled by students at Gorse Hill Primary School on plastic pollution, I was pleased to meet with Tearfund to talk about the impact of plastic pollution on the world’s poorest people and their work to tackle our global rubbish problem.”
At the event, Andrew also heard how churches, communities and individuals across the country are taking on Tearfund’s ‘Rubbish Challenge’ – a pledge to cut their use of single-use plastics for a month. Click here to find out more about it.