June 18, 2014

Supermarket chain held accountable for plastic waste causing whale's death

editor:	Vanessa Ellingham

A sperm whale which washed up on a beach in Spain was found to have swallowed nearly 60 pieces of plastic dumped into the sea by farmers who work in greenhouses which produce vegetables for supermarket chains Aldi and Trader Joe's.

A new petition aims to hold parent company Aldi accountable for the damage caused by its dumping, and has already collected more than half a million signatures.

The 4.5 tonne sperm whale, which washed up dead in March last year, had swallowed 17kg of plastic waste, including more than 20 sections of transparent plastic sheets used to cover industrial greenhouses.

The Guardian reported that scientists found other peculiar objects inside the whale's stomach, including a clothes hanger and parts of a mattress. The plastic had blocked the sperm whale's stomach, killing it slowly.

Grocery suppliers must be held accountable for the damage they do to the sea and its inhabitants, specially the sperm whales, of which there are only about 1000 left in the Mediterranean.

Sign the petition now to demand the safe disposal of plastic waste.