Every year billions of litre of untreated sewage are dumped straight into the ocean, and for years politicians have chosen to ignore the problem. Uncommon and partners, Clean Ocean (Rent Hav), Ocean Sewage Alliance and Renasys, are sending them a message they can’t ignore. It’s signed with printable ink made from sewage.

Sewage pollution is deadly threat to the environment, animals and people. It can cause low oxygen levels suffocating fish and sea plants, making the ecosystem of our ocean vulnerable to climate change. Sewage pollution can also contain bacteria, viruses and parasites that make people sick with gastro-intestinal symptoms, rashes, skin and eye infections, flu-like symptoms, and worse.

The Dirty Protest is an online petition that you sign on Dirtyprotest.org. Your name is then printed using a specially designed ink that features in sewage from drainpipes. The petitions are then printed and delivered to the responsible politicians across the globe.

Pernille Weiss, Member of the European Parliament and Chairwoman of the Water Group was the first person to sign the petition. Weiss made it very clear why she chose to sign. “I signed my name in shit to stop untreated sewage from being pumped into our ocean and I need all of you to sign, so we can show every politician that this problem is too big and too important to be ignored.”

Sewage doesn’t care about borders. That’s why The Dirty Protest is the first international collaboration. Everyone who signs the petition is not only supporting the fight in their local area – their also a part of global initiative to protect the ocean we share.

When you sign the petition, your printed signature will then get delivered to the responsible politician in your country once local petition requirements are reached.

With 1 million signatures The Dirty Protest will be delivered to the European Parliament and any other intergovernmental organisations we think can help make a change.

Anyone can sign here and learn more about the initiative.

Facts about sewage pollution:

• Over 40% of the world’s population lack access to safely managed sanitation services.
• 80% of the world’s wastewater is discharged without treatment to surface waters.
• 55% of coral reefs and 88% of seagrass are exposed to wastewater pollution, making them more vulnerable to climate change.

The campaign film is directed and produced by Blenderday Studio.