• End of "FILM - PLASTIC Not currently recycled" labels
    For many years now local councils have actively promoted households to recycle as much packaging as possible but the amount of plastic packaging that is not currently recycled is unacceptable. How many times have you gone to recycle plastic packaging? only to find that it is not currently recycled. As consumers, we should be able to purchase goods knowing that the packaging they come supplied with can be recycled at a later date. For one week I collected all the plastic packaging that had 'currently not recycled' written on it and was shocked at how much plastic packaging this amounted to. The alternative would be to avoid purchasing the plastic packaging but realistically this is not always an option as the product may only be supplied in that packaging. In the Netherlands, Ekoplaza supermarkets have introduced Europe’s first plastic-free supermarket aisle. "For decades shoppers have been sold the lie that we can’t live without plastic in food and drink... Finally we can see a future where the public have a choice about whether to buy plastic or plastic-free. Right now we have no choice.” (The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/28/worlds-first-plastic-free-aisle-opens-in-netherlands-supermarket). The Guardian’s investigation into supermarkets’ plastic footprint found that leading UK stores create more than 800,000 tonnes of plastic packaging waste every year. However Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, Asda and Lidl all refused to divulge their plastic output, with most saying the information was “commercially sensitive”. (The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/28/worlds-first-plastic-free-aisle-opens-in-netherlands-supermarket). Call on supermarkets across the UK to follow Ekoplaza’s example without delay.
    25 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Diane Abela
  • Call for clear legislation and Standards to cover composting
    Currently there are no national or international standards to cover home composting. At present Packaging manufacturers can claim their products are "compostable" leading to consumer confusion and misinformation. Products that are listed as compostable are often only suitable for industrial composting or hot composting and will not biodegrade in your home composter or even in an anaerobic digester. {This has been the case with several so-called biodegradable plastics: they are proven to break down faster under specific environmental conditions (which may not actually reflect the normal environment), but may not be effectively degradable under natural conditions. The labels of 'biodegradable', 'bio-based', 'compostable', are therefore often claimed and used in marketing contexts, with little understanding for consumers on what these definitions mean in practice. A key current challenge of biodegradable plastics is that they tend to need particular waste management methods which are not always widely available. They usually need to be separated from the traditional recycling stream (which can be difficult and expensive), and have to go to specific compostable facilities. This doesn’t mean such methods are unfeasible, but could be additional economic cost especially if they're in the waste stream at low concentrations, and would take significant work in terms of infrastructure redesign} Quoted from Our World in Data Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-truth-bioplastics.html#jCp
    80 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Cleaner Seas Project Picture
  • Recycling bins
    Plastic bottles, free newspapers and packaged food on-the-go are everywhere on our public transport and on our streets. The government should ensure that everyone has the opportunity to contribute to improving the UK's recycling rates but many of our public litter bins don't have a recycling option. It wouldn't be difficult to commit to ensuring local councils replaced these outdated bins with dual purpose options, as seen in some areas of London, within a reasonable time-frame.
    54 of 100 Signatures
    Created by James Fernley
  • Zebra Crossing
    So many cars, and while there are crossings, there are very far away and inconvenient to cross. This prioritising cars in the city and displacing the right of people. Critical to allow pedestrians to have right on the road and hopefully reduce car use.
    2 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Iain Duke
  • Nationally Recognise Pubs/Clubs & Venues as Community Assets
    Please consider any local café, restaurant, pub, clubs/sports associations and village hall a community asset, i.e. somewhere people can gather and socialise and ensure that these establishments are protected under Planning Law. Under current planning law a change of use is permitted through the planning application process, which in turn initiates a "consultation" process i.e. the community has the opportunity to object to an application. However Planning Officers have a tendency to ignore objections and rubber stamp development, a recent example local to me had 700 petitioned objections 13 written and the support of a Local Councillor, planning was still granted. The Government must support the community and prevent Council's and developers ignoring the wish of the local populous. Media reports that society is changing, and that the mental health of the nation is suffering, could this be because people have become insular by not going out. Pub’s, as an example, used to be a place where the local community met, socialised and resolved local issues between themselves, everybody knew their neighbour, their neighbour’s kids, etc. This sense of community is rapidly being lost. People are sitting at home becoming keyboard warriors and panicking over fake-news, they do not have an outlet to talk to others, attributing to the overall mental health of a Nation. Community assets should be protected by Law and encouraged with lesser rents, exemption from business rates, they after all are providing a service to the public, the local community and at times law enforcement. If a building cannot be maintained in it's current use, an alternative use that benefits the community would be preferable, i.e. conversion to a youth club rather that developed for profit.
    136 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Jon Buller
  • Fisheries Post Brexit
    British territorial waters are some of the most productive in Europe. I started fishing full time 42 years ago. Most of that time under the EU's Common Fisheries Policy. When we joined what was then the EEC we had to sign away equal access to other European countries. Some, like Spain, had no history of fishing in British waters. Others had so little territorial waters of thier own that they must have been rubbing thier hands together with glee at gaining access to our rich and abundant waters. Over the years I have seen the Common Fisheries Policy depress the industry, with once household named fishing ports such as Fleetwood, Milford haven, Lowestoft, Hull and Grimsby all declining. Thousands of people, not only fishermen but those industries supporting them, had to face finding other work or the dole. Whole communities were destroyed. The policy led to overfishing and the consequent decimation of prime fisheries, such as Liverpool bay and the Southern North Sea. The most recent threat has come from Dutch electro pulse fishing. Wiping out whole eco systems on the north Sea in the name of efficiency. I have seen once thriving fisheries that I used to work every year, nearly destroyed. Limiting us to smaller areas and concentrating effort there, instead of the diversity of grounds and fishing opportunities we used to enjoy. We now have the golden opportunity to take back control of what is a national resource potentially worth billions. By putting our own measures in place managing our fisheries effectively and sustainably we could ensure that not only are there fish in the seas but an industry for our children and grandchildren. Those Europeans that have an historic right of access and have fished or waters for hundreds of years, must be allowed to continue within limits but only if they comply with our rules of enforcement.
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    Created by Gerald Podschies
  • Nuclear Disarmament in memory of Professor Stephen Hawking
    With an ultimate aim to make UK’s relationship in the world peaceful that is be more harmonious with each other and with the environment. If each nuclear state disarms unconditionally the process can happen without one state breaking another before a peace dividend can go further. Please apply this petition in your own country There probably is a better way of saying something like this - but Steven Hawking was exceptionally popular probably not least for his use of an electronic voice. http://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/memory-prof-stephen-hawking Discussion - alternative to facebook https://mewe.com/join/nuclear_disarmament_in_memory_of_professor_stephen ICAN (the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) won the 2017 Nobel prize。- Winners are changing the culture on nuclear weapons - interview https://www.opendemocracy.net/uk/ian-sinclair/this-years-nobel-prize-winners-are-changing-culture-on-nuclear-weapons-interview
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    Created by Andrew Lohmann
  • SAY NO TO INDUSTRIAL IN RESIDENTIAL
    South Normanton Active Residentis (SoNAR) needs your help. This development will bring more heavy traffic through the village of South Normanton which is already at saturation point due to regular traffic issues from the M1 and A38. We need to - Say NO to more HGV's, Vans and Cars through our village - Say NO to more noise, pollution, congestion and accidents. Suppport SoNAR by signing our petition today! Thank you.
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    Created by Ruth Harrison
  • Soft drinks jackets on bottles
    I was told today by one soft drinks company, (who I contacted for information about their products’ jackets), that they didn’t have that information to hand. They then phoned me back, to say, “it’s entirely recyclable”. Well, if it is, surely that info should be added to the jackets. I was also told, by the same person, that, just as I wouldn’t recycle a baked beans tin without washing it first, their drinks’ jackets should be removed BEFORE recycling their plastic bottles. What? A simple line of text on the jacket about its material would suffice. Lucozade Rubens Suntory LTD, Britvic and others need to be more transparent. It’s vital for consumers to not only be aware of their drink’s contents, but also what the entire packaging is made of, for recycling purposes and to make an informed choice. Companies should declare precisely which material the jackets are made from, giving consumers the information needed when selecting a drink. In this age of environmental awareness and increased environment responsibility, consumers require to be better informed. We have a moral and ethical right to know if the jackets are entirely safe to recycle, (and, conversely, if they are potentially damaging to the environment and wildlife). And ... if we’re supposed to peel off the jackets and recycle the bottle and jacket separately, then this needs to be stated on the jacket. It certainly should not be a matter of guess work, assuming because the plastic bottle is recyclable, then the jacket must be too!
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    Created by Jeanette Sitton
  • BAN RETAILERS FROM SELLING NON RECYLABLE PLASTIC
    Plastic levels have become unmanagable and the enviroment is suffering badly. Our oceans are massively polluted and marine life is severley affected. There are many organic alternatives to plastic so why are we still using plastic??
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    Created by Beverley Pascoe
  • Less plastic in Somerset's supermarkets
    Single-use plastic water bottles are polluting our environment as they are non-biodegradable. Studies have also shown that traces of plastic are found in the liquids they hold, which has the potential to be damaging to human health. Reusable bottles and cups can last a lifetime and save people money in the long-run. There are many alternative materials to plastic packaging that are biodegradable and just as effective.
    87 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Georgia Merrell
  • Don't build a tunnel at Stonehenge
    Because I like catching a glimpse of Stonehenge as I drive past on the A303. Putting the road in a tunnel will spoil this pleasure for millions, and their children.
    101 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Andy Tribble