Dear colleagues and friends,
We express our deep respect and sincere gratitude for your years of work in creating a global movement that rethinks the possibilities of plastic recycling for the sake of protecting our planet.
Thanks to Precious Plastic, thousands of initiatives around the world have grown and joined a community that proves every day: caring for the environment is a shared responsibility of humanity that goes beyond borders and politics. Each of us working in this field has felt how meaningful it is to preserve the Earth’s resources, to teach environmental awareness, and to pass this culture on to future generations. We are truly grateful to you — for the idea, for the platform, and for the opportunity to be part of a movement that changes the world.
In Ukraine, as in many countries, dozens of local workshops have developed thanks to Precious Plastic. People came together to sort, recycle, educate, and show that there is another way — the way of responsibility.
However, since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many of our initiatives have been destroyed. Workshops in Donetsk, Mariupol, and Kherson ceased to exist; others in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, and Odesa are trying to survive under constant shelling and power outages. Ukrainian engineers, volunteers, and founders of these projects are now defending our country. For example, the team of EcoREactive workshop and NGO “Mountain Rescue Centre” has lost five members in this war, while several others are still serving on the frontlines.
russia has destroyed not only cities but also environmental initiatives built on enthusiasm and faith in the future. The environmental consequences of this war for Ukraine are catastrophic: burned forests, polluted rivers, poisoned soil, and destroyed recycling infrastructure. Wherever the russian army appears, it brings violence, destruction, and death. Numerous war crimes — including murders, torture, and sexual violence — have been documented and proven. What is equally horrifying is the silence or approval of these crimes by large parts of russian society.
We strongly believe that, under such circumstances, russian initiatives have no moral right to represent the aggressor state within the Precious Plastic community — a community built on the values of life, peace, and harmony with nature. Their presence stains the shared values of this movement and undermines the trust and solidarity that unite us all.
Therefore, we appeal to you and to the global community:
Please remove all russian workshops and initiatives from the global Precious Plastic map, community and programs. This is not an act of hostility — it is an act of moral consistency and a statement of support for the fundamental human right to life, freedom, and safety.
We urge Precious Plastic to join the many international organizations and initiatives that have already declared the unacceptability of participation by representatives of the aggressor country in their programs. Your decision would be a strong signal of support for justice, peace, and the environmental values you have helped to establish worldwide.
With respect and gratitude,
– EcoREactive workshop, NGO “Mountain Rescue centre”, Ivano-Frankivsk
– Plastic Fantastic workshop, NGO “Eco Misto”, Chernihiv
– Plasticon workshop, Zero Waste ZP NGO, Zaporizhzhia