A Platform For The Planet: Start By Banning Toxic Election Campaign Materials

Election watchers are now predicting that this upcoming campaign for national elective posts will not only be one of the most divisive in our history but may also become one of the most wasteful. In the absence of crowd-drawing rallies or mammoth miting-de-avance near election day, candidates may flood the streets, roads, alleys – even trees! – with campaign materials that are toxic to the environment.

To garner maximum exposure, campaign posters and tarpaulins are made of sturdier materials such as plastic or cloth. Recycled properly, these would find new life and a new purpose. However, this is not the case as campaign paraphernalia are easily discarded and find their way to clog the waterways, rivers, and even the ocean. They are easily forgotten like the promises made during the campaign.

This wasteful practice of using toxic election campaign materials must stop. The world is at a precarious state as tons of pandemic-related waste continues to pile up and governments are clueless how to properly recycle face masks, PPEs, syringes, and medical waste. Adding campaign-related waste would choke this already weary planet.