Put a stop to mercury – an open letter

Eco and the partners of the campaign “Green Window – Eliminate Mercury from Your Life” have prepared an open letter to health and environmental organisations as well as construction industry companies. The letter calls to stop using mercury technologies in the industry and is supposed to raise awareness of the scale of the problem. The letter is part of the social and educational campaign “Green Window – Eliminate Mercury from Your Life.”

OPEN LETTER
TO HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY COMPANIES

To whom it may concern:

In the name of the organisers, partners and media patrons of the social and educational campaign “Green Window – Eliminate Mercury from Your Life”, which promotes green attitudes, use of mercury-free technologies and awareness of the harmful impact of mercury on human health and the natural environment,

we would like to kindly request you to use and promote a mercury-free technology as a window-making method which is most friendly to human health and the environment.

We would like to draw your attention to protecting our planet from the second most toxic element on the Earth after plutonium, which is mercury. Just one gram of mercury is capable of intoxicating a small lake. At the same time, most of our houses have windows containing an amount of this element which could easily intoxicate all of the home dwellers. We believe that introducing legal limitations to the use of this element in the industry and production, as well as promoting green, mercury-free technologies are essential for the environment protection. We wish that your companies/organisations and all Polish people become aware of the widespread use of mercury in industry and production and its destructive impact on human health and the environment. Protection from mercury should become a common case we should fight for and show that everyone can influence the condition of the planet we will pass on to future generations.

How can you help?

Companies and institutions:

You can choose suppliers who offer mercury-free windows. These windows are available for the same price as conventional windows while not being a burden to the environment. Their future disposal will be much cheaper for users and residential communities, since mercury-free windows will not be hazardous waste. Mercury-free windows should be your preferred product.

Media:

We are reaching you through the media because it is this way that Polish people got involved in actions like Clean Up the World or Earth Hour.

About the campaign

The campaign “Green Window – Eliminate Mercury from Your Life” was initiated by the company eco and the Our Earth Foundation (Fundacja Nasza Ziemia). Together, we conduct educational and promotional actions whose leading theme is the postulate to completely remove mercury from human surroundings through replacing obsolete technologies with innovative, non-mercury ones. In 2012, as part of the campaign, six window manufacturers using mercury-free technologies were awarded “Green Window” certificates. The campaign also included a green educational action in kindergartens, in which over 2,000 children from six Polish cities took part. This year, we are conducting the second edition of the campaign: not only window manufacturers but also property developers will be able to receive a “Green Window” certificate. Those who wish to participate can already present their submission to the contest, while the verdict will be passed in June. The educational action in kindergartens will be back, this year covering educational establishments in Bydgoszcz, Elbląg, Katowice, Rzeszów, Szczecin and Wrocław.

We believe that your support for the campaign “Green Window – Eliminate Mercury from Your Life” can become an important factor influencing the attitudes and behaviours of Polish consumers and companies. As a result, you will contribute to environmental protection and to the health of Polish society.

If you have further questions, we will be happy to answer them. We are also available to meet you and present the topic in more detail, along with expert opinions, poll results on mercury awareness in Poland, as well as any details about the project.

Sławomir Brzózek                                  Andrzej Szafranowski

President of the Management Board        President of the

at Our Earth Foundation                         Management at eco in

(Fundacja Nasza Ziemia)