Who knew that we would have a whole ocean patch dedicated to plastic waste when we first manufactured it almost 70 years ago! Laura Parker from National Geographic said that out of staggering 9.2 billion tons of plastic that we have produced, 6.9 billion has gone to waste. Shockingly 6.3 billion tons were never put to a recycling bin. This man-made creature that we are so ignorantly using on daily basis has created havoc for us to battle and for the generations to come. It is one phenomenon of ocean pollution that is so slow, discreet, and indirect that most of us unknowingly are contributing to it daily.
450 years
Whenever I crave for fresh air, my first go-to place is the seaside near my city. Plastic bottles, wrappers, shopping bags, and other waste at the beach don’t come as a surprise to me. Despite many efforts made by authorities for waste management, people still carry on with their usual practice of shore littering. I can’t help but recall Jenna Jambeck from the University of Georgia who presented an estimate of 5.3 million to 14 million tons of coastal waste. Whenever I see a plastic bottle, I don’t see a bottle; I see 450 years; the time it will take to biodegrade. Plastic pollution is as real as climate change, and interestingly no one denies that but not enough steps have been taken by any country.
Start saying No
So the question arises, what can we do in our capacity to handle this ordeal? We need to take tiny steps towards a better tomorrow on a personal level. Why not start from my own home? At least this is what I have started to do since it’s challenging to convince a state. Starting from the fundamental part of the house, which is my kitchen, I have adopted the formula of refuse, reduce, reuse, and then recycle. The whole idea is to cut short the use of plastic which will ultimately go down at the bottom of an ocean or convert into microplastic that becomes a reason for marine life’s death. Anytime I want to buy something, the first thought that crosses my mind is the application of the refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle formula on that product. So, I try to say no to every product that doesn’t have any alternative in glass or carton packaging. Not only does it help me reduce the waste I produce but it also gives me satisfaction on my part being played in reducing plastic pollution.
Bye Plastic, but step by step
Since the day I started saying NO to all the packaged items in plastic bottles, not only did I save money, but my cabinets have also become way more organized. This whole mind and spirit transformation didn’t occur overnight. So, for all of you who are saying “wow” in their head right now must know that it took me years to understand the issue and then taking a considerate action. However, it doesn’t mean that you also need to waste the same amount of time. Start working from today and say bye to plastic!
Therefore, stop in your track right away if you are buying plastic that can be avoided. Go with the refuse formula, wherever possible reuse and if nothing else then definitely buy recyclable plastic. Do remember that it is our responsibility as an individual to leave a better world for our generation to come. The world has already seen what nobody ever expected. We were never prepared for a pandemic like this and we are not prepared for what might come our way if we don’t start making amends.
Time to Take Action Right Away!
